Fathers and Sons
by Iresol
Summary: A fic about Hoot on leave and the complications of family and everyday life. Swearing and maybe a fight later on, and a little sensuality or talk about it. Pre-movie Hoot and Diana fic #6.
1. Default Chapter

Authors Note, Ok so I am really in a Hoot fanfic mood, dunno why, no more alligators I promise, it sounded so much better before dawn, no more late night writing either. It's hard trying to explain to your religion professor you were up all night writing Black Hawk Down fanfic and that's why your unruly in class, some people have no compassion for Banatics. Anywho, have been inspired and have new plans and everything. Go me! So anyway I have decided to go in a new direction with this little ficlet, after seeing a wedding go downhill faster then my GPA (ha-ha) I've decided to base this on family and crap, but it will not be one of those loving moral family stories, it'll be like a **_real_** family. So review please and enjoy!

It'd been months since I had slept in an actual bed. Not cot or bunk. A real bed with real pillows, in a real house, with one other person. Well actually two, but McKnight was in the bedroom downstairs. We'd never been faced with that problem before, never before had all of us been off, at the same time.

Sometimes Diana and I would be off and we'd stay in her apartment in Georgia, other times her father and her would be off and they'd stay here, and when McKnight and I were off we'd stay at opposite ends of the base.

We **_never_** had **_this_** problem before.

Sanderson had thought it was the funniest damn thing on base.

It was about midnight when the phone rang, I knew this because I was awake. Not just because McKnight was downstairs and had the ears of a fox, but because for the first time in months I was in a actual bed, with the woman I loved, and didn't have to worry about waking up or getting caught or if there would be a air raid siren.

It was what so many people called domestic tranquility, something I didn't get a lot of, and it fascinated me.

I could actually lie in bed beside her and not have to worry about anything.

The phone rang and I prayed I didn't have to bail anyone out of jail, all of us were sent here for our leave, unless we requested otherwise, none of us really cared, we hadn't had leave in some time.

I rolled onto my back and she made little unhappy noises, I was almost tempted to ignore the phone and crawl back up against her, but she'd wake up. Or her father, who heard **_everything_**. I had more sex on base in closets then I was getting here. Not that I was complaining. Whenever he went out I was having the fastest sex in my life. Though he was starting to get suspicious why we ran out of milk and shit so fast. Which Sanderson also found funny as hell.

Before the phone rang three times I grabbed it, wishing the stupid thing had caller id.

"Yeah?"

"Hoot?"

A little part of my mind knew the voice, but it took me a minute before I remembered.

"Don't hang up, please, I want to talk."

It was my father and he wanted to talk. I was actually speechless, Diana curled up against me in her sleep, she buried her face against my arm and hogged my pillow along with the quilt.

"How'd you get this number?"

"Does it matter?"

"Yeah," I wanted to know whose ass I had to chew out. Someone would pay dearly for this little stunt.

"Look Hoot I want to know you. Albert refuses to even take my calls and I don't even know where Joseph is."

"Joe died."

If you had cared about any of us you would have known about that, but I didn't say that. Instead I let him take the news his youngest son was dead in silence.

"When did he die?"

"Twenty years ago." He had been six and had drown, I hardly remembered him, the last memory I had of him was when he waved at Albert and I when we got on the school bus. When we came home he was gone.

"How's your mother?"

Shit, I was getting annoyed now, "What do you want?"

He was quiet for a few minutes then asked, "Would you meet me for breakfast?"

"No."

I hung up before he could answer, then I took the phone off the receiver and set it down on the floor. Not wanting the damned thing to ring again.

No I was wide-awake.

Shit.

I grabbed the phone cord and pulled it off the floor, I reached over and grabbed the phone from the nightstand, I set it on my chest and punched in seven numbers.

Diana didn't know anything about my father and it would stay that way for as long as I could keep it. The man had no right to leave my life when I was too young to remember anything, then pop back in several years later and want to be buddies, it wasn't gonna happen. Life was not a Dr. Phil show.

The phone rang four times before Sanderson picked up the other end, "What?"

He was awake.

"It's me."

There was a silence then, "Do you know what time it is? What the hell is your problem?"

"He called again?"

Sanderson didn't have to ask who, he knew by my tone I guess. Instead he asked, "How the fuck did he get your number?"

"We didn't talk about that."

Against me Diana began to wake up, whether it was from the noise or I was getting tense. I quickly spoke up, "I'm gonna go shootin in the mornin."

Sanderson didn't ask directions or what time, he didn't need to. Instead he said, "Ok, meet you there."

I hung up the phone and dropped it on the floor, Diana moved closer against me until she was completely lined up to my body. Half awake she mumbled, "Who's that?"

I kissed the top of her head and put my arm around her, pulling her even closer, it that was possible. "Sanderson."

Sleepily she lifted her head, her figure silhouetted against the glow of the alarm clock on my side of the bed. Clocks didn't survive on her side.

"Sanderson? Who's in jail?"

I smiled and kissed her lips, "No one. We're gonna go out on tha range."

She stared at me then collapsed on my chest, quite possibly annoyed that we had made these plans so late at night and woke her up in the process.

With her head on my chest she fell back asleep. By all means I should have been tired, I wasn't. I slid my fingers in through her hair and played with it for hours, just staring at the ceiling, looking over at the red illuminated numbers now and then.

At 5:42 I finally fell asleep.


	2. 2

"Daddy you look like a jackass."

I opened my heavy eyes and lifted my head from the pillow, sure enough McKnight stood in the doorway of our bedroom looking like a clown from the bowels of hell.

He was going golfing obviously.

McKnight looked over the Capri style pants, knee high socks with pompoms on the side, a orange sweater vest and green shirt underneath, and a beret with pompom on the top to tie the outfit together. "I do not. This is the official golfing uniform. If you need me I'll be out with Leroy and Earl on the greens until dinner."

Diana walked across our bedroom in the process of pulling her hair up, "Why can't you just wear jeans and a Hooters shirt?"

McKnight looked in my direction, apparently still angry about my ensemble when I joined him on the greens, "Because I have class."

Good God, pompoms were classy.

It was too early to even think such horrible things. I fell back in the pillow so I didn't have to look at him.

"Daddy," Diana warned, and I grinned. I all but felt his glare on me. But he didn't say anything, instead he asked, "Do you want me to pick up dinner?"

"No. I'm going food shopping."

McKnight dug out his wallet and gave her some money, we all chipped in for food, but I was already betting she had raided my wallet. I glanced above my head at the bed stand and saw my wallet was moved, she had already robbed me. Whoever said there couldn't be theft between family members never met Diana.

The little red numbers made me groan inwardly, 8:03, two damn hours of sleep.

"Have fun daddy," she called, I lifted my hand and waved.

Then heard the clawing noises his shoes made on the floor, golf cleats, which just made the whole outfit shine. Why men degraded themselves like that in public was beyond me, the richer they were the stupider they looked. My Hooters shirt may not be classy, but I left the greens with my dignity.

I lifted my head and watched her tie a white bandana over her hair. She wore her weekend clothes, even in them she managed to drive me crazy. The worst part was she didn't know how damn sexy she managed to look in old jeans that had no knees, a mans button up dress shirt that she had rolled the sleeve up to and only half buttoned.

While she adjusted the bandana in the mirror she asked, "Was there anything you wanted in my journey off base today?"

I wasn't really paying attention, in those jeans which she only wore around the house since they had their knees ripped out, her ass looked like a piece of art. There was just something about those jeans. I'd have to look at the style and buy a bunch of them for her.

"Hoot?"

"Huh," I asked, Diana turned and gave me an annoyed look from the dresser, "Hoot! You cannot be serious, I look like a rag muffin."

An extremely sexy rag muffin. Whatever the hell a rag muffin was.

The front door closed, she chewed on her bottom lip and pointed at me, "Fine. But a quick one, I have shit to do today. Groceries to buy, I have to help the kids next door plant a garden, and change the oil."

Damn, she was going to be all covered in dirt and oil, in those clothes, I would probably have to stay around the house today. Screw the shooting range. I sat up and pulled my shirt off, she laughed and I didn't care. I threw the damn shirt across the bedroom.

It was set in stone, she'd have to wear those clothes more often.

**The Shooting Range**

There were two shooting ranges on base. And indoor one and an outdoor one, while the indoor one was nice, air conditioned, and clean. I liked the outdoor one far better. It took up half an acre and almost two hours to complete. Only one team of guys was allowed in and paintballs were used. There had been a small accident with the live rounds being used.

I waited for Sanderson outside the building where the gear and paintball guns were kept.

No longer were we allowed to have the paintball guns in the parking lot, too many cars got hit. You also weren't allowed to bring your own balls anymore, someone had brought pepper balls in. It was hardly fun anymore.

Sanderson being late was no big surprise, the usually punctual man had gotten his wife pregnant and her hormones had begun to kick in. Lets just say he was more then proud that she was pregnant, after all she had been on _three_ birth control pills and his men still got through. She was more shocked and pretty much figured it was the will of God when it happened, so they were both thrilled. Even though he was more proud of himself.

When he finally showed up he parked and climbed from his truck, out of breath.

Cheeks flushed red with a stupidly large grin on his face.

I cocked an eyebrow at him.

"She raped me man, that woman handcuffed me to the bed and wouldn't let me sleep. All damn night, every now and then she'd climb off me and go eat, and then she came back."

While he said this he gave me two thumbs up.

"Sanderson, I'd be more sympathetic if ya weren't grinnin." I told him.

I swear his grin grew wider, "It was the proudest moment of my adult life."

With my arms crossed I leaned back against the wall, "I thought buying her a D cup bra a few weeks ago was tha proudest moment in your adult life."

He shook his head, "No man, that was the best moment in my adult life."

Ah, it was suddenly so clear to me now.

"Ok speak up, she's timing me. If I'm not back in three hours she's coming looking for me. I have to go home ready to perform."

That made me laugh, I couldn't wait to get Diana pregnant, and he didn't get this much action on his honeymoon. No one ever told us that once the first two or three months of the pregnancy passed women became animals.

Even as I told him about the phone call from my father he still had that stupid grin on his face.

"You gonna meet with him?"

I shook my head.

"Well Hoot, there are three things that could have happened. Since this man just walked out on you and your mother and brothers, and hasn't even looked you four up since then, he may feel guilty. Or he is dying or maybe he found Jesus and is making amends for his past mistakes."

I made a face of disgust at each explanation. Each was worse then the one before, I didn't care one way or another if the man felt guilty. I didn't really care if he was dying, and I didn't care if he found Jesus.

"I wanna know how the hell he got your number. Is your mother on speaking terms with him? We know Albert would sooner run him over before letting him in his car."

"Hell no," Momma would help Albert run his ass over.

"Not no, but hell no, well is he in the military?"

I shrugged, "Don't know, I ain't never asked bout him. Don't wanna know bout him one way or another."

Sanderson tapped his bottom lip with his fingers, hardly smiling. "You said he got ahold of you on base a few months ago?"

I nodded, "Yeah, he got ahold of Grimes's phone."

"Well what does he look like?"

I shrugged, didn't know, momma didn't keep any pictures of the man. But neither I looked more like Momma then Albert who had blonde hair and brown eyes. I guess he had blonde hair.

"What's his name?"

Again I shrugged, "Guess his last name is Gibson cause Momma's maiden name is Jefferson an she still goes by Gibson too."

Sanderson let out a sigh, then patted my shoulder, "Well lets go shoot at something, that always makes you feel better."


	3. 3

The son of a bitch shot me.

Right after we finished the whole course in an hour and half, he turned around and plastered me with eight or nine neon green paintballs. Bastard. I then plastered him with what was left of my pink paintballs until the course owner yelled us at.

He had the nerve to call us overgrown children, so we shot him a few times with our paintballs.

Then he had the nerve to ban us from the course for the rest of the day. So we put marbles in his gas tank.

I got back to my small house by noon.

Diana was out in the neighbors yard with his herd of children, helping them plant a garden. I slid in the house before one of them spotted me. I changed and then headed for the kitchen, looking for something to eat.

The sight of the groceries brought a grin out on my face.

Diana did not believe in Tofu, thank God. She had bought me beer, real meat hotdogs, and ice cream. Real ice cream. The food was real and filled the fridge. I loved her.

Before I opened a beer I'd have to go thank her, she couldn't stand the smell of it so I didn't open a beer, yet. Instead I headed outside and across the lawn. At the sight of me the kids cheered, all boys between the ages of 5 and 9. All had hand me downs that were covered in dirt, one of the older kids looked like he had rolled around in a mud pit.

Diana glanced up at me and smiled, she had the kids all in a row planting seeds, and they were actually enjoying themselves.

"Hey sweetie, did you have fun at the range?"

I grinned and instead of answering her I kissed her. It disgusted the children who all made gagging noises. I didn't care. She smelled wonderful, fresh, not full of perfume and lotions. Whatever she had eaten earlier had left a sweet taste on her lips that I devoured.

When I broke the kiss and told her I loved her a few fell in the dirt, utterly disgusted. Diana just smiled, "You found your beer?"

"Among other things," I grinned.

I gave her a quick kiss while she pulled a piece of paper from her back pocket. She put it in my hand and spoke against my lips, "I ran into some man you grew up with at the food store."

It didn't dawn on me at that moment.

"Man? What's his name?"

Diana rolled her eyes and wiped her hands on her jeans, "Thaddeus."

Thaddeus? I ain't never met no man named Thaddeus.

She could see the look on my face and she elaborated, "Thaddeus J. Gibson?"

I didn't know that name but I slowly suspected who it was, I nodded, "Aight, you have fun with your dirt." I kissed her one last time and headed into the house to call one person who would know who that man was, Momma.

It'd been almost a week since I spoke with her last.

I closed the front door and dropped down on the couch in the living room, Diana had left the phone on the coffee table so I grabbed it, I punched in the numbers I had memorized in kindergarten and waited for the phone to ring.

Outside the boys screamed, playful screams.

I listened to them while the phone rang, on the third ring Momma answered, "Hey baby."

God she loved caller I.D., before that she rarely answered the phone.

"Hey Momma, how you doin?"

Her rich voice carried over the phone as if she stood beside me, "Fine, baby, when do I get to see your woman again?"

I leaned forward and stared at my feet, a smile growing, "When I get a chance. Look Momma, I gotta question for ya."

"What's that baby?"

For a moment I thought about asking her a million other things, I had no right to ask her about the man who broke her heart. No right at all. In all honesty I had no desire to see the man, none at all.

"What is dads name?"

She was quiet for a minute, "You mean your Goddaddy or the worthless bastard who left us?"

"The latter."

"Thaddeus."

That was just perfect. I rubbed the bridge of my nose and stared at my feet, my shoes seemed to draw my eyes like moths to a flame.

"What for baby?"

I couldn't lie to Momma, "He been calling me."

She wasn't silent, "That bastard, I kill him myself, what he been calling you for? You win the lottery?"

"Naw, Momma why'd he leave?"

Momma never really told us, we never asked, she asked, "He been calling Albert too?"

"Yeah."

"That son of a bitch! How'd he get the numbers? I ain't even know your numbers till ya tell me, you ain't been telling him your number?"

"Hell no."

"That's my boy."

I smiled at her words. Momma could always make me smile. But before I hung up I asked, "Why'd he leave?"

"He's a fucking lying bastard that's why, an he didn't leave I dun thrown his ass out. He left when I told him to leave, we ain't in need of a man like him round, I can raise my boys just fine. Don't you give him any money."

"I won't momma, just one last question, then I gotta go."

"What's that baby?"

I sat up, no longer looking at my feet but out the living room window at Diana and the herd of boys. Watching her teach them to plant a garden. How the hell someone could just leave something like that was beyond me, and I wasn't even a father. "What does he do?"

"For work?"

"Yeah."

Momma was thinking, "Well baby when I divorced him he quite, so he wouldn't have to pay alimony or child support, but he's a judge. Last I heard he got work as one them Supreme Court Judges."

A Supreme Court Judge?

"Momma? Those men make alotta money. Why'nt you ask a judge for help, fore you won the lotto we was dirt poor. We ain't had nothing."

I heard Momma smile, "Baby when your daddy left he didn't wanna support you or your brothers, I ain't no gold digger. I can support my family and sons. I ain't gonna go crawlin on my hands and knees to a man who didn't want my beautiful babies."

I smiled, "Thank you Momma."

For a while I watched Diana while she planted seeds of many kinds with the children, while she showed them how to plant them, all the boys watched and mirrored her actions.

How could someone just leave all that? I'd never understand it, I didn't want to understand it, so I called my brother. He'd be no help but I wanted to talk to him. He was more petty and spoiled then I was, but he was married with three little monsters of his own.

He answered on the first ring, he was also a big fan of caller I.D., even at work he didn't bother to reign in his mouth, "Hey white trash what's up?"

"Dipstick, guess what?"

In the backround I heard a radio buzz, he answered me, "You knocked up the Generals daughter?"

I rolled my eyes and watched Diana, my eyes couldn't leave her, I was in deep. "Not yet…..our father's been callin me."

"What the fuck? I dun told his ass off. Want me to tell him off for you?"

"It's aight. Look…..you ain't never been so resentful of him, what changed?" When we grew up Albert didn't really care about our father one way or another, he went through Police School and got his degree in Criminology without any fatherly support, he never cared about our Dad, now he hated the man more then anything in his life.

He didn't talk about him or anything.

"I had Claire. I tell ya what Hoot, the minute you hold your baby in your arms, look in her brown eyes, you'll feel something you never felt before. When I looked into her eyes I could not put her down. I sat beside her crib for three nights in a row just watching her. How our father could leave three of us….I don't want to know a man like that."

That's what I was looking for, I needed to hear that, I thanked my brother and hung up. Now I was no longer curious about what the man wanted, I didn't want to know what he wanted from me. I didn't care.


	4. 4

Authors Note, Ok so this chapter is more showing the domestically challenged side of Hoot and all men. For the future reference this fic isn't gonna be full of violence, don't get me wrong there will be some later on, but I'm trying to aim this at a new direction. Anywho, The shoe situation was based on my friend Denise whose husband actually went in her closet and counted her shoes. What possessed him to do this, we aren't sure. But it led to a fight. A fight that is still memorable. Anywho, enjoy.

"Darlin you look swell, lets go. The boys are waiten." I pleaded for what seemed like the millionth time that hour. How the hell she could spend an hour picking an outfit to wear and doing her hair, then came the shoe selection.

While she looked like sex on two feet in the two hundred dollar jeans, that's right, two hundred dollars for a pair of jeans. I didn't want to know. I had made the mistake of counting all her shoes once. 69 pairs of shoes. That lead to an argument and I didn't get any for _three weeks_, and then I got shipped out. Never again will I **_ever _** question her wardrobe. That was the longest three months of my life. After that she could buy whatever the fuck she wanted for all I cared. I may be a proud, but I ain't stupid. When she's mad she locks the bedroom door _and_ doesn't let me in the bathroom. I didn't even get to see her naked ass. It was horrible.

Diana came out of her walk in closet, with what appeared to be identical shoes on her feet. My eyes traveled over the jeans and the dark green shirt thing she wore. There was a fancy name that I already forgot. But damn it looked good. Not whorey either, hugged her in all the right places, it didn't show skin but left everything to the imagination. Well it showed her arms, but nothin else. Them jeans looked nice to. Diana looked down at her feet, "Which shoes do you like better?"

I sat up and looked from the foot of the bed. Trying my best to tell them apart, so I asked, "I like'em both?"

"One is Charcoal and one is Ebony."

Ohhhh, well that clearly made the difference. So I looked harder while Diana was clearly torn. They were both black fuck me shoes, or stilettos as she called them, they could double as a weapon.

"The left," I told her.

Diana bit her bottom lip, "You Sure?"

I nodded.

Diana then said those magic words, "Ok. Did you leave a note for dad?"

Thank God she was done, "Yeah. The man won't be back from his poker game till like three. We'll be back fore then." I'll have got me some by then. I watched her walk back in the closet, those shoes were a gift from God. I'd have to thank him when I died.

Then she made me the happiest man alive, she said from in the closet, "Why don't you go start the car, I'll be right down."

When she finally came down we were only an hour late. I made up time on the way. Lambross's directions were worth dirt but we found the little place where we were gonna have dinner.

Diana made a face when she saw the sign but didn't say anything. I parked the jeep in-between Lambross and Sanderson's, I literally made my own spot. We went inside the little restaurant, there was no theme. Just a plain place, though there was a staircase in the middle of the place that lead upstairs. Whatever was upstairs had their stereo blaring.

Of course we were the last ones to take a seat.

I smacked Lambross upside the head, "Your directions suck."

His wife then smacked him upside the head, "I told you to let me give them directions, asswipe."

She was just a lovely woman, Greek, she knew everything. If you don't believe me just ask her. Humera was also there, eating all the rolls it appeared. Diana took the empty seat next to her and they started to talk about the baby. Sanderson just grinned at me while I took my seat beside Diana at the long table, which we filled. Some of the other guys had brought their own wives. Once a week or two we got together like this.

Sam's wife leant over him and asked Diana, "Where'd you get those shoes?"

She waved her hand, "These old things? I got them down in Atlanta a few years ago."

Which in Diana talk meant she starved for three weeks to afford them.

If the waitress didn't show up I would have laughed. But I was thirsty, I looked over her uniform, which made the women at Hooters look over dressed. It was then I had a bad feeling about letting Lambross pick the restaurant. Beside me Diana just smiled. I had a really bad feeling.

Then I noticed she had a metal pail under her arm, somehow I doubted there were more rolls in that. She smiled brightly, "Hi. I'm Amber and I'll be your Hostess tonight. I see we have a large group, Hi Mr. and Mrs. Lambross."

I narrowed my eyes, Amber, our _Hostess_ winked at them, not Lambross but them.

I had a **really** bad feeling.

"Tonight our specials are Salmon steaks with a baked potato, asparagus and another vegetable or rice. The drink of the night is a Bahama Mama. Now while you look at your menus it's customary to put your car keys in the bucket for later."

What? Even Sanderson was confused, I shook my head, "Naw, we got some designated drivers."

Amber, looked puzzled.

Along with half our table.

Diana leant over and slid her hand across my thigh, she whispered in my ear, "Don't put your keys in there."

Well I wasn't planning on it, but from mere curiosity I asked, "Why?"

She smiled and whispered, "This is a swingers club."

For a moment I just stared at her, the smile on her face was priceless. I then looked around the restaurant and noticed some of the tables were empty of people but had food, others had couples seated at them, openly flirting with one another. Then I realized _why_ there was music on upstairs.

Diana then whispered in Humera's ear, the woman's eyes popped, she then whispered to Sanderson while I decided what I was going to do with Lambross, that Greek Bastard.

Sanderson in turned whispered in Jose's girlfriend's ear, it worked its way up to Lambross's wife Nina, she looked at her husband, "You didn't tell them where we were going? Shithead!"


	5. 5

Authors note, Ok there is some hanky panky in here. You've been warned. It's not dirty or graphic, I've tried to keep it clean but was bored this afternoon. Hey I got my homework done early. So humor me.

Diana found the whole thing beyond amusing.

We left.

With a quick decision to go to a B-B-Q place we frequented. Lambross was no longer allowed to pick our restaurants.

"I'm glad you find this so damn funny," I spat at Diana, who just giggled and nodded. She held a hand over her mouth and snickered on the way to the jeep. I was dating a pervert. She followed me to the jeep, both Sanderson and Lambross were gone.

A quick look around the parking lot , which was nothing more, then the backside of the restaurant, a sign was nailed to the building **All Night Parking**. That should have been my first clue.

Diana saw it and burst out laughing.

The woman laughed so hard she almost tripped in her shoes. I rolled my eyes and grabbed her arm before she fell. The woman was sick. I fished out the car keys while she asked, "You have never had casual sex in a public place?"

"Yeah, plenty a times, but never when I was datin someone."

"That doesn't count," she snickered.

I turned and spat, "Pervert."

"Prude."

"I ain't a prude," I spat back.

Diana put her hands on her hips and said, "Well prove it."

My God she had turned into a four year old. A sexy four year old, but still a four year old. "It ain't even dark out. If I'm gonna break a indecency law it's gonna be at night."

She rolled her eyes then said, "Chicken."

I began to argue back that I was not a chicken, but that seemed useless, so I grabbed her silky shirt and kissed her. I had every intention of just teasing her, but then she wrapped her legs around my waist, she wove her fingers into my hair, the damn woman teased me until public indecency was no longer a issue on my mind.

I had a bigger issue to worry about.

I opened the back door of the jeep and pretty much tossed her ass inside. While I climbed in the back seat with her, she pulled the two weapons off her feet and threw them in the trunk. Then the woman I loved unzipped her pants and wiggled out of them, she tossed them in the back with her shoes.

"I love you," I confessed.

She grabbed my shirt and pulled me into her arms, where quickly pulled my t-shirt over my head and threw that in the back too. "Really I do," I told her.

"Then prove it," she grinned.

"Ok," I agreed, my voice failed me after that, her hand sneaked around and pulled my wallet from my pocket, while she chewed on my ear. All the blood rushed from my body, to my pants, painfully.

A smile grew on her face, I felt it on my shoulder.

She then retrieved my wallet and began to slowly kiss my neck, it was not that which drew the gasp from my chest. She laid back down beneath me and slide her hand down my pants, while she smiled so innocently at me.

I didn't know what had gotten into her, and I didn't care.

I tried to form words, but found my brain was not functioning. She then took a hold of me and I didn't know what the hell a brain was. With one hand she tormented the hell out of me, while she dug through my wallet for something with her other hand.

She apparently found what she was looking for, I didn't know. Her hand had been cold to the touch, which had made me gasp. So she shoved her hand down further and warmed it up against my thigh. When I closed my eyes she would ever so gently scratch me.

I then opened my eyes, trying _very_ hard to breath.

The smile on her face told me how much she enjoyed this, and as soon as I could she would pay for it. Though my mind couldn't think much past the beautiful color of her eyes, that evil smirk on her face.

I felt my legs begin to shake and that seemed to amuse her, I was able to speak finally, though my word sounded more like a plea, "Diana."

She knew. She pulled her hand from my pants, which was not what I wanted but

thank God she knew how far she could push me before I lost complete control.

"Don't move," she whispered.

I nodded, the muscles in my arms burnt from holding myself up. With her hand out of my pants I could feel beads of cold sweat run down my back. Diana put a little foil packet in my mouth, so that's what she had been looking for, it was suddenly a little clearer.

I felt her hands then heard the zip of my jeans, and suddenly there was _wonderful_ freedom. A deep gasp came from myself. No longer painfully confined in those damn jeans.

She placed a soft kiss on my lips, "Don't move."

Again I shook my head, trying very very very hard not to move. And it was hard. It was harder when she began to lick my lips. It was almost impossible when she began to wiggle out of her underwear, while she lay beneath me. Every now and then she would brush me and I would gasp. And then she would smile. So I snapped my teeth at her.

When she got her underwear off she grabbed them from her foot and tossed them in the back.

Finally she took the little packet from my mouth and opened it.

It seemed like she was just taking her sweet time. She wrapped her hands around me, I all but collapsed on her as I took a torn breath, hell I gasped. The woman was a sadist! She gave me a somewhat gentle squeeze and then slid the rubber covering over me. "Don't move," she whispered.

Now she was just being difficult.

Her hands slid around my waist and made their way down, grabbed a hold of my bottom, it could have been painful, I felt her fingernails dig in my skin. That was it. She opened up her legs and hooked one around my thigh while her other rested against the back of the seat.

Finally she smiled and said, "Ok."


	6. 6

I was a man.

Not that there had been any doubt before, but I had had sex in the back of a jeep which was in the back parking lot of a swingers club. My life was now complete.

It was almost midnight before we all left the _real_ restaurant.

Maybe it was the steak she had eaten or the sex, but once we got in the car Diana settled back in her seat, pulled her legs up underneath her and closed her eyes. I would have thought she was asleep if she hadn't pulled her shoes off and hooked herself in.

By the time I had drove from the parking lot she looked asleep.

I loved this little town. Night or day. Some places were nicer at night when everything was lit up and others were better during the day. But this was one of those old southern towns that once was the gold rush capitol of the south. So all the buildings were wood and the walkways were brick. The town courthouse was still in the square.

Shops lined both sides of the street as we drove out of town. Following Sam back to the base, who sped up to get through the red light as soon as it changed, I stopped.

With the jeep not moving Diana looked over at me and opened her eyes. A smile came over her face in the dark car, visible by the streetlights.

"What?" I asked.

She grinned, "I love you."

I leaned over and kissed her, just once, just incase the light suddenly turned green. Her next words surprised me.

"Hoot, I think I want to elope."

Elope?

That caught my attention, I looked back at her, "Elope?"

Diana nodded, "I was thinking about it. I don't really want a huge wedding. Something small, just a couple people but in a church. I want a church Hoot."

Personally, there were maybe two relatives I wanted at my wedding. Eloping sounded great to me. I knew McKnight had been wondering how we would

afford a wedding when one of the kids on base had had a huge bash for his.

"Any special church?"

Diana pursed her lips, "Catholic Church."

Catholic Church, "Do I have to convert to that?"

Diana shook her head, "We'll lie and say your Catholic."

I couldn't help but smile, "Ain't it a sin to lie to a priest?" The light turned green and off we went, but I only looked at the road now and then. Diana smiled and told me, "Hoot, I have lied to Priests all my life, if it were a sin I'd be charred black from lightning."

I rolled my eyes, then slowed and turned onto a shortcut.

"Do you want to elope?"

I nodded, "Yeah, in someplace old though…..and I want Sanderson there."

Diana smiled, "Well I want my father there."

I flipped on the Jeeps high beams and said, "Well I want my brother and Momma there."

Diana pointed her finger at me, "I don't want your whole family there."

"Hell woman, I don't want my whole family there. Just Momma and Albert." My mother and brother and Sanderson. I slowed down to sixty around the tight curves of the road. Diana sat in her seat as if I weren't speeding. Though she was used to her fathers driving, the man drove like a lunatic.

"Is there anywhere you want to get married?"

I shrugged, not taking my eyes off the road, "Wherever you want darlin, where are we gonna go for our honeymoon?"

Diana laughed, "Honeymoon? Ok sweetie, where would you like to go?"

Well I had been to Europe, Asia, Mexico, and the Middle East. "Aruba."

I slowed to a roll, and crept through a four way stop, then sped up.

"Well that was quick….Aruba?" Diana teased but then she caught on, "You've never been to the Caribbean have you?"

"Not yet," I replied, the lights of the base out in the distance brought a warm feeling to me. Like I was almost home.

"All right, since you have your heart set on Aruba. Do you want to do the hotel spa thing or a bed and breakfast or like a bungalow or something?" She asked.

"Don't care, I wanna stay on the beach. An I don't wanna wear shoes."

That made her laugh.

As we came closer Diana fished her Military I.D. from her purse, I pulled my wallet out where my card was. I stopped at the gate and rolled the window down, I grabbed her card and held both cards out the window. The three guards peeked at the cards then shone the lights in our faces.

"That McKnight's daughter?"

"Yep," I told them.

The three of them laughed and waved to the guard to raise the gate, "You poor bastard."

I gave Diana her card back and waved as I drove through the gate, it closed behind me as Sanderson pulled up.

"I'll have to get a new I.D., and divers certificate and drivers license," Diana mused aloud.

I flipped my high beams off and navigated my way through the base, to the house, a grin forming in my face. She would change her last name to mine. It brought out a giddy feeling almost. I don't even know why, but she would be Diana Gibson and that made me grin.

I pulled onto our street and into the small drive, McKnight wasn't back yet.

Beside me Diana sighed, then she kissed my cheek while I turned the jeep off, "I'll go hop online and look for a bungalow." She hopped out of the jeep before I could kiss her back, so I opened my door and shouted after her, "I wanna walk outta the door and onta sand!"

Diana ran up the walk and onto the front porch but stopped, she froze and stared at the front door. I locked the jeep and made my way across the lawn. In no big hurry until I saw what she was staring at, the front door was cracked open.

"I locked it," Diana told me.


	7. 7

"Go get in the car," I told her.

Diana glared, "You go get in the damn car. I live here too!"

Whoever was in our house was still in there, I could hear them move around downstairs. I didn't want her in the house. I wanted her far far far away. I gave her a shove, "Go get in the car."

To my surprise she listened, I should have known better.

Instead I pushed the door open and slowly stepped inside, I could hear feet in the kitchen. What the hell could they be looking for? You didn't go on military bases for money.

Maybe they were looking for McKnight? After all he had a far larger fan club then I did. His room was also close to the kitchen.

With Diana no longer a concern I made my way through the dark house.

Through the living room and into the kitchen. A good-sized man was going through the cookie jar. It was full of bills, statements, extra checkbooks, and a couple credit cards that hadn't been activated. He was reading what looked like Diana's address book, for what reason I didn't know.

"Did you find the little shit's birth certificate?"

The man had a southern accent, but he was trying hard not to let it come out. There was a twang but he sounded each of his words out.

He turned, annoyed, "Bryan?"

"My birth certificate ain't here." I told him, wondering where the hell Bryan was. Scattered all over were papers from the Garfield Cookie Jar. The man dropped it on the floor and it broke, damn. Diana loved that stupid thing. But that thought was quickly erased when the man charged me.

A part of my brain kicked in.

It was as if he moved in slow motion, I could see things in the dark I hadn't noticed before. Like the man had a mustache, a bad one. Three tears tattooed under his eye. He had on black like all good criminals. He had pumped iron but was clumsy, somehow I knew this.

I let him come at me, when he was close enough I put my foot in his stomach and shoved him back! It sent the man to the floor and onto his back. Upstairs someone ran across the floor and down the steps, then stopped.

I looked back to the man on the kitchen floor and watched as he tried to catch his breath. But he rolled onto his feet while he did that, so he could fight, good.

I let him get up and come at me again.

The man swung at me once, twice, I blocked his third swing and put my elbow in his neck. He coughed and stepped back. I kicked his knee out, literally. The man fell on one knee screaming out in pain. I grabbed his head and pounded it into the side of the kitchen counter till he fell silent.

He fell in a pile out cold.

Where was the other guy, Bryan?

I made my way from the kitchen and toward the steps. Last time I heard him he was on the steps. I came around the corner and saw Bryan on his knees at the foot of the steps.

That did surprised me, Diana standing in front of him with a gun pointed at him didn't.

She stood out of his reach like a good girl. There was a little red dot on Bryan's chest from her gun. "Hoot, be a dear and turn on the light." I didn't argue. Instead I turned and flipped the light on, "Where are the handcuffs?"

"The bedroom," she told me.

Ah screw it, if they were down here I'd handcuff the one in the kitchen, but I wasn't leaving her alone with Bryan. I looked Bryan over, he looked harmless. Maybe 22 or younger, but in all black. A typical blue eyes brown haired kid. He looked from Diana to me, a red welt had risen on his cheek.

"Who the hell are you and why are you in my damn house?" she asked him, the kid didn't answer her but looked at me. Diana looked at me, "Hoot?"

"His name is Bryan," I told her, then asked him, "What you looking for? There ain't no money here kid."

He looked to Diana then me, "Where's my cousin?"

"Sleeping," I told him. Whether he though I was lying or not, I didn't care. I could have waited the kid out all damn night. Diana was less patient. She had learned gun safety from her father, when she pulled out her gun she wanted to shoot something. She was beginning to get ancy, trigger-happy you could say.

She fired two rounds into the floor a few inches from the kid. Which just scared the living hell out of him, he screamed like a little girl. Diana stepped up to him and put the gun to his head, "Look kid, the Military Police are coming, if I shoot you in my home they won't care, I won't care, Hoot won't care. Tell me what your doing in _my _ house or I'm going to start shooting you."

Quickly the kid told her with tears in his eyes, "He told us if we found Norm Gibson's house and his birth certificate and anything else like that he'd give us a few thousand dollars. We didn't take anything valuable."

"Who was going to pay you?" Diana asked while I watched silently. She was doing fine without my help.

When the kid stammered she shot another round into the basement floor, though that bullet was _much_ closer to the kid.

"My uncle," he cried.

Uncle?

"Your uncle better have a name!" Diana informed the kid.

I heard a car pull into the drive but knew it wasn't base police, with a quick look at my watch I knew it was McKnight. He'd just love this.

"Carter. _Please stop shooting at me!_" The kid began to beg, and then he began to cry.

Diana was growing more annoyed, but I didn't say anything. She then asked, "Does Thad have a last name?"

The kid nodded, tears were just streaming down his face, "Gibson. Look I'm sorry. I've never done anything like this before, ever! Please don't tell him you caught us."

Diana looked at me, both of us thought the same thing, I asked, "You related to Thad Gibson?"

The kid was surprised but nodded, "He's my dad."

Diana's eyes grew, I sighed and asked, "When did you call the base police?"

She looked at me, "A minute or two ago. Why?" Just then McKnight stepped inside and looked between the three of us, "What the fuck is this? Who the fuck is he?"

McKnight smelled of smoke, cigar smoke, Cuban cigar smoke.

I turned to McKnight, "Would you do me a favor?"

Diana was even confused, but was silent. McKnight nodded, "Sure, who the fuck is pretty boy?"

"He's my brother….theres'a criminal in the kitchen. If I drag his ass out here would you two say just he broke in? I wanna take Bryan home fore he gets in trouble."

Diana was surprised, McKnight wasn't, "All right."


	8. 8

While I drug the unconscious man in front of the stairs McKnight screamed at the kid. And I mean screamed.

Like he screamed at everyone.

The kid was hysterical by the time I shoved his ass in the jeep.

Between Diana shooting at him, McKnight screaming at him, the kid had a big night.

I didn't ask how he got on the base. With a judge for a father it wasn't hard to figure out. By the time I got him off the base I had calmed down enough I could talk to him, without determining if I could get away with homicide.

"What's he want?"

The kid had to do a double take, whether he didn't understand me or the question, "Wh...what?"

"What's your father want?"

I drove away from the base, keeping my eyes on the road. It wasn't hard but I concentrated on it. It was one in the fucking morning. I could have been asleep.

"Our father," the kid corrected.

**That** annoyed me, "He ain't my dad. Answer my question or I'll turn this car round and turn your lil ass in."

I don't know if it was my threat or what, but the kid told me, "Dad is going to run for senate. But he can't have and skeletons in the closet or anyone coming out to the press with anything bad."

So I was a skeleton in his closet. Sanderson forgot that one. My hands tightened on the wheel and I told him, "You don't have'ta worry, I ain't gonna ruin his career. I don't even know what the damn man looks like. I ain't never heard his name fore yesterday."

My swearing bothered him.

Quietly he told me, "Dad actually wanted to meet you and Albert. But Grandpa said it wasn't smart. That you would resent him and such, that you were illegitimate children."

Immediately I spat, "I ain't illegitimate."

"But when Dad divorced your mom he got it annulled."

It took everything I had not to pop the little bastard in the mouth. Instead I came to a stop and asked, "Which way?"

He had to lean forward and look but then pointed, "Right."

I turned right and asked, "Where the hell do you live?"

He winced at my words, but told me, "Up in Sandy Creek."

Sandy Creek, of course, the rich area. I'd been over it in a chopper once but never inside it. It was a _country club_. Exclusive.

"Are you really a Delta Force Ranger?"

I all but rolled my eyes. It was an about ten minutes to the damn country club gates. Besides, I was gonna go inside and tell the man off. I really didn't want to tell my life story to this kid, so I told him, "Yeah."

"Do you have a tattoo?"

His question surprised me, usually the next question was _have you ever killed anyone_. But I shook my head, "No."

"Why not?"

Good God, "_Why not **what**?_"

"Why don't you have a tattoo? Don't all military guys have their rank and stuff tattooed on their arms? Like the eagle, globe, and anchor?"

I did roll my eyes, "The Marines have the eagle, globe, and anchor. And no, not everyone has one."

"Why don't you have one?"

No he was getting annoying, I actually turned to him, "What is with your fascination with tattoos and me?"

He shook his head and was quiet.

I almost felt guilty….shit. "With what I do a tattoo wouldn't work. It would help someone recognize me. People don't need to know I'm an American or in the Army."

His next question brought a smile to my face, "Are you a spy?"

"No."

I sped through a red light and turned onto Maple, which lead up to Sandy Creek. The kid watched the speedometer.

"How old are you," he asked.

"How the hell old are you? Can't you sit in damn silence, Jesus Christ you're like'a damn shrink."

The kid took offense, "I am going to college for Psychology!"

I sped up as the road went up a hill, the gate at the top. "You ain't gonna get a job as a shrink with'a rap sheet."

The kid was quiet. I'd insulted him. Good.

I slowed to a stop at the gate and asked, "What's the code."

He was silent. I should have brought Diana, he sang like a damn bird for her.

"Look kid. I'm either gonna punch in the code or drive through the damn gate. It's your choice."

"752 is the code. The house number is 3601."

Good.

I hit those three numbers and the gates opened. I drove in an followed the numbers. Probably breaking the speed limit. All the damn houses were the same, all two story mansions plastered together. They were ugly. Million dollar houses for rich people. From above I saw the pools and shit.

3589, 3591, 3593, 3595, 3597, 3599, 3601.

I pulled into the drive, behind a Lexus. In front on that in the open garage were three men around a Mercedes, looking at the engine like it was something foreign. Just like when Diana looked at an engine. Though they weren't hitting whatever looked like it needed hitting with a hammer.

Before I got the engine turned off Bryan hopped out and ran into the garage. I decided to just put the car in park. I wasn't about to stay for coffee, just incase I needed to leave in a hurry.

I left my door open as I climbed out.

One of the men came out. I knew before he came to me it was my father, the first time I had seen him. He looked like Albert a little. He had the same blonde hair that was thick as Albert's. The same eyes and smile. Though he had some years on him, it showed, but he was the perfect face for a Senator or whatever.

He seemed surprised to see me, "Norm?"

I didn't bother to correct him, I didn't want _him_ calling me Hoot. It was too personal.

"Stop callin me. Leave me alone. Leave Albert alone and leave my girl alone. I don't care what your runnin for, I ain't gonna bother telling the press or whatever bout me or Albert. Your secret is safe."

He seemed genuinely surprised, shocked.

Like I cared.

"Did Bryan tell you I was going to run? Norm, that's not why I wanted to see you."

Bryan was speaking with the two other men.

"I don't care why. Aight? Really I don't, so leave me alone." I turned to leave but he reached for me, so I turned and I hit the man. I punched my own father. Right in the face. Knocked the damn man down on the driveway.

"Leave me alone," I told him before I left.


	9. 9

Authors note, Ok guys, I'll try and un-complicate things. Bear with me. I'm a big fan of making things worse. Hopefully this chapter will clarify a little.

To my surprise the house was empty except for McKnight by the time I got home.

He was putting a rug on the holes in the floor. He looked up at me as I closed the door, "Diana told me to fix the holes."

Speaking of Diana, I stated, "Her car's gone."

McKnight nodded while he adjusted the rug, "She got called in to work." He wasted no time in his next question, "Who was the kid?"

I fell back against the door, tired. "Bryan Gibson."

"I know his fucking name. Why was he in this house? What's he? Your cousin, brother, uncle?"

I didn't bother to ask how McKnight knew the kids name. He was buddy buddy with all the M.P.s on the whole damn base. "Brother and I don't know why he was in here. Lookin for something I guess."

Happy with the rug McKnight stood and looked me in the eye, "No shit."

I didn't elaborate so he asked, "Where'd you take him?"

I didn't say home. This house was my home. That kid lived up yonder in a mansion. "Up in Sandy Creek."

McKnight's mind was piecing all this shit together.

"His daddy wouldn't be the Gibson that lives up there? The same Gibson that was a Supreme Court Judge? The same Gibson that's looking to be the next Senator of this state?"

I nodded, "Yeah." I either needed a drink or I needed to go to bed.

A drink, a beer sounded very nice. And maybe a smoke. Yes, a beer and a smoke. I pushed myself off the door and headed for the kitchen. McKnight followed me, "What the hell were they doing in here?"

How the hell should I know?

I walked through the messy kitchen and opened the fridge, McKnight closed it, "Hoot?"

Just the way he said my name, it pissed me off. I turned and glared at the man who was a foot from me. "I told the damn man to leave me alone. Aight? I told him he didn't have'ta worry bout me ruinen his damn life. I ain't gonna be a damn skeleton."

McKnight listened and seemed to take a lot from my rant. He thought it over with his hand on the fridge, "A skeleton? So he's worried about you and your brother and mother fucking his life up."

"I guess. But I ain't never seen the man b'fore tonight. So he ain't got nothin to worry about."

"Well politicians are fucked in the head so don't worry about it Hoot."

I nodded, I knew it was true. But I ain't never been called a fucking skeleton before.

"The man say anything else?" McKnight asked.

My mind had already forgotten about the beer. I shook my head, "The kid told me bout that. The man was more surprised then anything to see me. I had enough of his shit, I'd like to get sent out just to get the hell away from him."

McKnight listened, actually listened. Just like Diana did. Now I knew where she got it from. It was as if the man could translate my rants. "He's tried to get a hold of you before?"

I nodded.

McKnight waited till I had no choice but to tell him, "He's been callin me on base here and in Africa. Damn man ran into Diana in the food store."

McKnight raised his eyebrows, "You're not supposed to use your judge position to get classified military phone numbers."

Yeah but shit happened.

"Maybe I'll luck out and the man'll file a restrainen order against me."

McKnight raised both his eyebrows at me.

"I punched him," I told McKnight.

That impressed McKnight, "You punched your own daddy?" I made a face at the word he used. McKnight noticed, "Well Hoot, would you mind elaborating? Just so I can explain your behavior when I'm called to court as your character witness."

No longer interested in the beer, I stepped back and hopped on the counter. My legs hung off the edge but didn't reach the floor. McKnight crossed his arms and waited ever so patiently. Almost like a Nazi interrogation.

"That man, Thad Gibson, Judge or whatever left my Momma when I was little, I don't remember him. He pretty much left us in a shitbox. Momma raised the three of us best she could and he ain't never wanted anything to do with us since then. He's been callin Albert and me for the past few months. I guess to make sure we don't ruin his new life, with his new family an shit."

A wife you left to fend on her own with three small boys was a big damn skeleton in the closet. I began to swing my legs at the thought.

McKnight shook his head, "When my wife died Diana was the only thing that kept me sane. I could never imagine just leaving her….even when I had to to go out I left her with Grandparents, and that broke my heart."

I actually smiled, I could understand that.

My father was a entirely different matter.

McKnight stood straight and told me, "Go to bed, I'll make some calls and look into this shit."

Apparently my surprise was apparent on my face.

"Well by the looks of it your going to be my damn son-in-law. So I don't want these asshole relatives of yours bothering us." McKnight told me.

I could feel the love.

"Thanks," I told him.


	10. 10

Authors Note, Ok the naming children after guns is actually true. I have a cousin who when he had his first child he and his wife argued over the child's name. She wanted to name it Jonah and he wanted Remington. So they agreed she would name the first and he would name the second. So their first son was named Jonah, to our surprise they had twins next, and they were named after weapons. So my three nephews are named Jonah, Smith, and Wesson.

I woke up to Sanderson.

The man had let himself in my house and right up to the bedroom. Not like I cared but he woke me up. He came in the bedroom an jumped on the bed.

"It's a boy! It's a boy! It's a boy! It's a boy!"

I opened my eyes and stared at Sanderson, the man was clearly insane.

"A sun or a son?" I moaned, waking up. I looked and saw Diana wasn't in bed, Sanderson was in her spot. Not what I had grown used to during my leave.

"A son! We just got back from the doctor and he rubbed this slimy shit on her stomach and ran a mouse over it and I saw my son! He has a small little penis and little hands and small little feet and my nose."

Ah, "You having a son?"

Sanderson sat down beside me, "Was there ever any doubt? I got through three birth control pills! _Three!_"

I nodded, "And we're so proud," what the hell time was it?

While he rooted through his pants for something he checked his watch, "It's almost noon."

I groaned and closed my eyes, "So are you going to name him after the pill?"

"Hell no! I want to name him Remington. But she wants to name him something like Aladdin or something."

I sat up and rubbed my eyes, "So what are you going to name him?"

Sanderson shrugged, "We don't know yet. Look. Look isn't he the most beautiful thing you've ever seen?"

I looked at the paper he had folded up. It took me a minute to realize the black and white picture was an ultra sound. Then it took another minute to determine what part of the baby was what, and another to realize I was looking at Sanderson's son. I grinned at him, "Remington huh?"

Sanderson plopped down beside me and looked over my shoulder at the picture. With the largest grin known to man plastered on his face, then he pointed out the fingers and toes, "He's almost all done forming his fingers and toes. He's normal and healthy."

It was hard not to feel excited for him.

"I'm going to teach him to shoot, swear, ride a bike and box….all the important stuff."

I gave him the picture back, "He's beautiful. You're lucky man, but shouldn't you be with your babies momma?"

With great care he folded the picture and tucked it into his jeans, "She sent me out to find couscous."

Couscous? "We ain't got any….that's them lil noodle bits right?"

Sanderson nodded, "I have to go to Wally world, get dressed I want to show you something on the way. Hurry up, she's very hungry, I left her with half a meatloaf and two containers of green been casserole, it won't last long."

I didn't argue, but instead rolled from bed in my jeans.

Hell I didn't have much planned for today, why not spend some time with the beaming father before Diana or her father got home? While I pulled on a clean shirt from the dresser Sanderson told me how he got to listen to his son. When he mentioned that Humera had a family history of having twins I so helpfully added, "Well if you have'a set a twins you can name'em Smith and Wesson."

That actually sounded like a good idea, Sanderson thought so too, but asked, "What is we have a girl?"

I pulled my shirt over my head and looked in the mirror, I had two days worth of stubble on my face. "Name'er after your car."

"Shelby?"

"Sure," I replied, I ran my fingers through my short hair then headed into the bathroom to brush my teeth while he stayed where he sat. Musing aloud, "I wonder if she would like Harley? That's kinda ethnic, right?"

I just rolled my eyes, I began to brush my teeth and spoke to him while I did so, "Just give the kid like twelve names." Though it came out in less formed words, but he understood me.

"What like Remington Aladdin?"

I took the brush out and pointed it at him, "I don think your wife's gonna name your child after a damn Disney movie."

Sanderson shook his head, "I agreed to Aladdin, she wanted to name him after Ishmael."

Ishmael, what the fuck kinda name was that? Sanderson read my face and told me, "Abrahams son?"

I rolled my face and began to brush again, I headed in the bathroom and shouted, "Ask your mother…that woman knows everything."

I spat out the white minty foamy shit as he shouted back, "She doesn't know Humera's pregnant."

"Then tell her," I spat back, washing my toothbrush and wiping my face on the bath towel. Sanderson's next words surprised me, "Well she doesn't know I got married."

I dropped the towel and peered outside, "Huh?"

Sanderson looked up at me and shrugged, "I haven't told her I got married yet."

Sanderson hiding from his mother? That didn't sound right. So I asked, "Why not?" My friend shrugged, "You've met the woman. Would you bring Humera home to her?"

Truthfully, hell no.

"I told my dad though…..he's going to fly down in a month to see Humera while she's pregnant. Then again after the baby is born."

Sanderson and his dad got along, his dad was an amazing man. His mother got on my nerves personally. He slid off the bed, "You ready yet?"

I grabbed my shoes and followed him out the bedroom.

**Somewhere off base down a twisty Mountain Road in a junkyard…..**

It was beautiful.

The frame of an original Knucklehead.

"Think of the bike when we finish it….all original pieces. Now it's nothing but a frame….but we could rebuild it."

I nodded, in awe of the beauty of it. The simple metal frame, sure the back had a little damage but that could be welded. It was in mint condition. Except for being stripped down to the frame.

"We could search junk yards an shit for the other parts."

Sanderson nodded, "We could split the costs."

I grinned at him, "Maybe we can finish it fore your lil one is born." His grin only grew bigger, "He's giving us a deal too. The old man was in the Army so he's only charging us half price."


	11. 11

She was doing it again.

The damn woman was going to drive me nuts.

She couldn't cook to save her life, the woman could screw up scrambled eggs for Christ's sake, but God she could be so oblivious sometimes.

I watched her prance around the kitchen in nothing more then a pair of men's boxer shorts with palm trees on them. A pair of stupid-ass pink slippers with a crown on them, but to top that ensemble off she'd stolen a "Big Johnson" t-shirt from my dresser.

The woman looked irresistible.

If her father hadn't been in the other room I would have jumped her then and there and let whatever she was burning in the oven catch on fire.

To make things worse she began to play with her hair.

Then she wanted me to pick out a chapel from the pile she had found. She could have asked me what my name was and I couldn't have told her. Thank God there were pictures on the papers.

When the smoke detector began to buzz I looked to the pile.

Trying hard not to notice as she hopped all around the kitchen swearing at what was apparently lasagna.

"Darlin, Which one you like?" I asked, looking over what looked like an old fashioned gas station, not likely. I put that one on the counter, followed by one that was named after Elvis. If I was gonna get married I was gonna do it right.

McKnight wandered into the kitchen, either after the black smoke that billowed out of the oven of the smoke alarm. His nose scrunched at the black smoke but he remained silent, a truly wise man.

Diana swore like a sailor while she attempted to save dinner.

I looked at the next chapel in the pile.

It didn't look that bad…..if she were seven months pregnant and McKnight had a gun in my back. The perfect chapel for a shotgun wedding. It even had a Midwife on call for those late weddings.

I put that one on the pile, McKnight took a spot beside me and leant on the counter, looking into the kitchen while a safe distance away, just incase she

decided to throw something. "Diana, sweetheart, would you want me to pick up a pizza?"

I remained silent.

Taking a look at the nest chapel, hell no, _The Chapel of never ending love and peace_, complete with a self proclaimed Reverend hippie.

"Ok, daddy, but no anchovies this time. And get me some wings….with blue cheese and ranch." Diana sighed, looking sadly at the black tin that puffed clouds of black smoke. I made a face, "Is that thing gonna explode?"

Diana took a spatula from the counter and smacked the top of it, it was solid.

She then turned to me and dared me to say something with those stunning eyes.

McKnight spoke up, "Go put that in my car….I know what to do with it."

What the hell he was gonna do with it I didn't even want to know, I looked back at the pile while he went in the kitchen to help. The next chapel looked like a fucking arcade.

With a sigh I added that one to the pile.

It could not be this damn hard to get married. The two of them headed out into the garage, I took a look at the next chapel , which was actually St. John, the Baptist Cathedral in Savannah. I scanned over the hours and shit. This one had potential. It was a actual church.

The phone rang, without looking up from the paper I grabbed it and answered it, all without looking up, "Yeah?"

"What the fuck is your problem!"

It took me a moment to recognize the caller, "Which problem you talking bout Albert?"

"Hitting our damn father in his damn face! How dare you! Of all the fucking times I had to suffer through him and you go and hit him! I hate you! Next damn time you go I wanna come, why do you get to hit'im and I don't?"

I sighed, then turned to page two of the computer printout, looking over the information, looking for marriage information, "Next time I plan to hit someone I'll be sure to call you first."

"Don't be a smartass…hold on, _I'm on the phone with Hoot. I'll take out the _

_trash in a second sugar,I promise. I love you, baby. _Ok, listen up Rocky, what tha hell were you doin associatin with those bastards?"

Marriage silence, witnesses, all the good shit was needed for a Catholic Elopement, didn't anyone just run off and get married anymore?

"I had to drive our brother home. You may want to take out the trash before your woman pulls out her whip."

Albert immediately spat, "I am not whipped. I am my own man, I take orders from no one."

In the background I heard his wife scream, "**What was that**?"

"_Nothin baby, I love you_….anyway, we got another brother?"

"Apparently, you know if momma has anything against Catholics?"

Albert sighed, "Catholics? What the fuck is a Catholic?"

Again Albert's beautiful wife screamed from across the house, "**Don't swear around the children**!"

I grinned, as he shouted back, "_I ain't swearin baby_."

"Whipped like the family pig," I smirked.

"Fuck you," Albert spat, "Anyway, Catholic? Is that a perfume?"

"No shithead, it's a fucking religion, you know the Pope?" I set the Cathedral aside in it's own pile. Then saw the next chapel had its sign in neon lights, it was misspelled. Chapel of Mounten Love.

"OH! Yeah yeah, momma thinks their idol worshippers," Albert told me, I already knew that but I was hoping she had lightened up on that. "Why?"

I put that chapel aside and looked at the next, "You think she'll notice if I git married in a Catholic Cathedral?"

"What the fuck for? Diana? She's Catholic? You're marring her? Is she pregnant?"

I shook my head, "No she ain't pregnant. Sanderson's wife is pregnant with a son." Albert laughed, "The stud got through three pills, was there any doubt?"

Then came Albert's wife, "**ALBIE**!"

I grinned, "Albie?"

"Hold on, _What? Sugar! I'm on the phone!_"

"**Dinners done**!"

"_Aight!_ Ok man, look why don't you bring your woman and the General down for a visit?"

I shook my head, "Naw man, got too much shit going on here. But I wanted to let you know Diana and I are lookin at chapels and shit. Plus, you know who is over yonder."

"Aight man, give me a date and we'll get togetha a lil sooner, call momma so she ain't stunned shitless."

"Love ya," I told my brother.

"Hey man, if he gets too ornery give me a call, I know some cops up there that can hold things togetha while I race up the interstate to you."

"Aight."

"Love ya dipstick," Albert told me before I hung up, a hung grin on my face. I looked at the picture of the next chapel and saw a remake of some "Gone with the Wind" house. Fuck no.

The garage door slammed and Diana came in, then she opened it to let the smoke out of the kitchen. "Sweetie, were you going to tell me about that piece of scrap metal in the garage?"

Damn, I had forgotten to tell her.

I looked into her beautiful eyes and saw she was more curious then mad, and I repeated words I had heard moments earlier, "I love you, baby."

She shook her head, rolled her eyes, and then walked out of the kitchen and around the counter to me. Looking at the chapels too, she noticed the three piles I had made, "You like the Cathedral?"

I nodded, "Some of these are for shotgun weddins. Others are a lil too….neony for me."

She smiled and kissed my arm, "Have you got to the nudist one yet?"

Nudist? No! I quickly flipped through the pile , which made her laugh. She kissed my arm again and headed down the hall, "I'm going to go take a shower. Dad should be gone for about a hour."

"Aight," I told her, still flipping through for the nudist chapel until I realized what she had told me.


	12. 12

Authors Note, Ok, now I realize I have probably turned this into a damn soap opera, so every few chapters I'll have a explanation chapter like this, it kinda explains shit and stuff, and shows where everything is at, so I don't confuse anyone else. Sorry about that. Hope this helps. If it doesn't just review and I'll work at it.

It was around nine when McKnight returned, minus the burnt lasagna.

What the man did with it I didn't even want to know.

I sat on the couch with my feet on the coffee table, a unopened cold beer between my legs while I finished looking through the wedding chapels, while "Married with Children" was on the tube, the irony.

Diana was sound asleep across my lap. Hence the reason for the unopened beer, she would have moved into the lazy-boy if it were open. So I had an ethical dilemma, beer, or beautiful woman asleep in my lap.

Hard choice, yeah right.

She was very tired. After all she had worked a twelve hour shift and been up all night, but she was squeaky clean, _that_ I was positive of. McKnight came in the living room and sighed, he walked over to Diana and leaned over the couch, giving her arm a gentle touch, "Hey sweetie, why don't you go up to bed?"

Personally I didn't care if she continued to sleep with her head on my crotch, but it probably bothered her father, even though I had jeans on. The man was picky about silly little things. She could swear like a sailor and drive like a maniac. But if she fell asleep on the couch with her head in my lap, the man got upset.

Diana lifted her head and blinked, I never moved. She looked up at me then her father to see who woke her up. A button mark left imprinted on her cheek from my jeans.

Again McKnight added, "You'll sleep better in a bed." I knew the man had a smile on his face for her, you could tell, it sounded as if it were a forced confession in a communist prison. But she was too sleepy to even notice. Dressed in a pair of my boxers and t-shirt she patted my bare stomach then slid from the couch, half awake. I risked a look up in time to see her rich brown hair fall around her face, it hid a purple hickey on her neck.

The sudden desire to follow her ass up the steps and go to bed crossed my mind, but from McKnight's tone I doubted he'd let me up those steps anytime soon.

"Good night daddy," Diana mumbled as she gave him a kiss on the cheek.

McKnight gave her a kiss on the cheek, "Good night, I'll see you in the morning."

"Ummm," Diana moaned as she sleepily climbed the steps. Only when she hit the top step did McKnight stop his good behavior, the man belted me upside the back of the head and almost knocked me off the damn couch.

"You know it's bad enough you two go at it like fucking rabbits whenever I leave the damn house, could you at least not touch my baby when I'm home?" he bitched, then took a seat beside me on the couch and stole my beer.

Bastard.

But I didn't say anything, it was warm anyway.

"It's bad enough I know what you're doing to her, I don't want to see any fondling or her head in your lap. What the fuck do you think pillows were invented for? They were invented so fathers didn't have to see that. I'm gonna have to burn my fucking eyes out now."

As he opened my beer I grew more annoyed, "I ain't even begun to fondle her so quit your damn bitchin."

McKnight let out a groan and let his head fall back, he pulled his legs up beside mine on the table then nursed the beer. "This is hell. Fucking Grimes, the bastard should have warned me we were both getting off."

I rolled my eyes and tossed the fourth from last wedding chapel on the table, there was no way in hell I was getting married by a man with thirteen names, eight of which I couldn't pronounce, that just screamed CULT.

"Where's the pizza?" I asked, now that I though of it I was hungry. Well, Diana and I had eaten after the shower but he was still sent out to get a pizza.

He groaned, "I knew I forgot something."

McKnight forget something? God forbid! I looked over at him, "S'cuse me?"

"I got pulled over by the damn cops."

I laughed at that and he smacked me again, but I couldn't help but grin, "They finally caught your ass Mario?"

McKnight took another sip of my beer, "Fuck you."

That made me laugh even more as he pulled the ticket from his pocket, which turned out to be a warning.

"It's good to be me," he grinned.

I looked at the next Chapel that was in the "Shady Oaks" trailer park. Where the hell did Diana find all these?

McKnight looked over my shoulder, "You find a chapel yet?"

I shrugged, "I kinda liked the Cathedral thingie in Savannah."

That surprised McKnight, "I didn't see you as a religious man, Hoot."

"I ain't, but if I get married I wanna do it right, plus your daughter wants a priest, a real white collared one too," I told him.

McKnight nodded at me, "Her mother was very religious." McKnight didn't really talk about his wife that much, so I looked over at him. That was all from him so I told him, "You got any suggestions?"

McKnight thought about it, "You may want to handle all the family problems you have."

That confused me, "Momma won't get that mad bout a Catholic weddin. I'll just tell'er if she don't like it she don't have'ta come, she can come to that reception thingie."

McKnight rolled his eyes at me, "Not that side of your family."

It took me a minute then I shrugged and looked back down at the "Shady Oaks" trailer chapel. "Well that ain't a problem."

"You know Diana treated your father last night?"

My head snapped to McKnight, I was gonna have fucking whiplash, "What?"

He nodded, "You gave him a black eye and split the eyebrow in half, hell Hoot you fractured the bone around his eye. You're lucky that man didn't want to press charges and that he has the power to call that shots like that, you could have gotten your ass arrested for battery."

"Why'd Diana have to go down? For him?"

McKnight nodded, "She specializes in Emergency Medicine, no one else wanted to stitch the man up with those orbital fractures. Well no one wanted to stitch up a former superior court judge running for public office, Diana doesn't care who the hell she sews up."

That I knew and I probably should have felt bad about breaking that bone, but I didn't, which was probably a bad thing, hell if I told Albert he'd probably send

me a congratulations card and prize money.

McKnight took a sip of his beer, "Well I got a hold of some of my friends and asked about your father. Apparently the man has a…..colorful past. So his father, your grandfather, has been covering his ass. Paying off a few strippers, a few mothers of illegitimate children, making a few tickets and criminal charges from his young and stupid days go off his record. Trying to make him a better candidate or whatever for the conservative party."

"And Thad has no idea what good ole dad has been up to?"

McKnight corrected me, "Thad _had_ no idea what daddy dear was up to. Your father apparently thought the colorful past would aide him in his political aspirations."

I thought about it then just had to ask, "So what'd he want from me? The grandfather ain't never called me."

McKnight tipped his beer bottle at me, "Your father is truly sorry for all the hell he has put you, your mother and brother through, and wants to reconnect after a heart scare he had a few months ago."

I stared, "Your cannot be fuckin serious."

McKnight nodded, then so helpfully added, "He also doesn't like Catholics and is a strong opponent to the NRA."

Oh good God, I looked back down at my chapel list.

Maybe if I ignored him he'd go away, or I'd get shipped out. It damn well figured, the one fucking break I get in years, when I actually have a woman, and I have a shithead to deal with, it never failed.

I didn't realize I had muttered some of that out loud till McKnight corrected me, "A conservative shithead."


	13. 13

Authors Note, ok so I just got back from the beach for two weeks with my sister. Sorry about the lack of updates. Anyway, read and review. Anywho, this chapter is kinda based on actual events.

Both McKnight and I woke up about the same time, from a nice nap on the couch, the TV just black and white fuzz. It took me a minute to realize what woke us up.

Someone was knocking on the damn door.

McKnight began to swear, I looked at my watch, 3:12. Perfect.

Rubbing my eyes I got up and made my way to the door. I peeked out the hole and saw Sanderson standing there, I opened the door and he looked at me. A blue plastic bag in his hand.

"I bought her the wrong ice cream," was his answer to me.

I opened the door and let him in, "She threw ya out for that?"

Sanderson shook his head, "No. She somehow drew the conclusion that low fat ice cream meant I thought she was fat and was cheating on her with the cashier."

I forced myself not to smile, he was half awake. Dark circles were under his tired eyes. He also still had his bag and house keys in hand. "You can have the couch," I told him.

Sanderson nodded and made his way into the living room, dropping on the couch that had a beer bottle and chapel information. He dropped the bag of ice cream and was probably asleep before it hit the floor.

Thank god McKnight had went into his bedroom. I don't think even he would have stopped Sanderson. With a sigh I bent down and picked up the bag of ice cream and put it in the freezer. I shut out the lights and turned off the TV, then headed upstairs.

Down the hall but to my surprise Diana was not asleep, she was seated on the floor by her side of the bed. Books and magazines scattered across the floor. I closed the bedroom door and she looked up at me, her eyes were red.

Immediately I walked over to her, "What's wrong?"

She bit her lip and took a ragged breath. Unable to say anything.

I took a seat beside her and noticed what she was reading. My heart fell through the floor faster then I thought, my breath was gone. If I hadn't been seated I would have ended up on the floor.

Quietly she cried, "I just felt it a few hours ago."

I stared at the magazines. The pictures. The information on tests. Then the books about it and all the little pink ribbons.

Diana fell against my arm, I wrapped my arms around her and held her as close as I could, "Did you call the hospital?" She nodded in my chest, "Tomorrow at noon I am going in to see Raphael."

I felt her cry against my chest, the hot tears.

It ripped me apart inside. A helpless feeling filled me. All I could do was hold her closer and close my eyes or I would begin to cry too. I kissed the top of her head and just rocked her until she stopped crying, until she fell asleep against my chest.

Even then I didn't move.

Instead I held her and stared at those little pink ribbons until I couldn't, I closed my eyes and dropped my head back against the mattress. Memories of my grandmother on Chemo came back. Seeing her slowly go bald. Slowly get paler and paler. Hearing her throw up on Thanksgiving. Even watching her get her treatments, but then she would joke about her fake breast.

When I opened my eyes I saw those little pink ribbons.

I reached up and grabbed the phone, I dialed the number before I could think twice.

Albert's sleepy voice came over the phone, "Yeah?"

I breathed once then spoke quietly so I wouldn't wake her up, "She found'a lump."

"Huh? What….who is this?"

"It's me."

"Hoot? Did Momma finda lump?" Albert immediately asked, wide-awake. I shook my head and remembered he couldn't see me, "No. Diana."

"Fuck. Aight. I'm comin up."

"The front door's unlocked," I told him.

"Don't worry man…..it's probably nothin." Albert told me before he hung up.


	14. 14

"Who the hell's car is that? And why is Sanderson on the couch? Also, who the fuck bought low fat ice cream?"

I glared at McKnight on my way through the kitchen, without a word I opened the fridge and pulled out a beer. I needed something to drink. With Diana still asleep and my brother in the shower, not to mention Sanderson sound asleep I had a moment for breakfast.

McKnight watched me, "Hoot?"

I twisted the cap off and closed the door with my foot, "My brother's."

"Your brother?"

I nodded and drank half the beer on the first drink, I'd need some Tylenol to go along with it. My head already pounded at me. I dug around the top of the fridge and found the little bottle.

Upstairs the water stopped.

I decided I needed at least three, I downed them with the rest of my beer and threw it away.

"What's wrong?" McKnight asked me, watching as I went back to the fridge on the hunt for food to counteract the beer, "Is Diana pregnant?"

Pregnant, I wish. I shook my head and pulled out a leftover steak.

McKnight watched me toss the container in, hit a few buttons, then the old appliance radiate my food to life. "Did you two break up?"

I shook my head and closed my eyes, in a whisper I told him, "She found a lump."

That was all I needed to say.

When I looked back at McKnight it looked as if someone had punched him in the gut. His eyes were wide, terrified. "When?"

"Last night," I told him.

The man that had always been strong, fearless, simply fell back against the kitchen counter. I watched his world slowly fall apart.

"Did she call a Doctor?"

I nodded, "Noon. Today."

McKnight nodded he took a breath that sounded like a gasp. "Noon?"

"Yeah."

I watched McKnight stand and walk to the stove, he pulled a packet of cigarettes from the decorative oven mitt on the door and used the stove the light one. I didn't say anything. But took out my steak when the microwave dinged. I did pull the smoke detector from the ceiling and opened a window.

I ate the steak but didn't taste any of it. I hadn't tasted my beer either, a sick feeling was stuck in my stomach.

McKnight smoked his second cigarette when Albert came down the steps, strolling into the kitchen with a freshly shaven face. His dark brown eyes looked from McKnight to myself. He had cut his dark hair but it was still long, long enough he had it in a short ponytail.

Dressed in blue jeans and a denim shirt I introduced him to McKnight, "This is my brother, Albert. Albert, this is Diana's father Danny."

The two man shook hands and McKnight gave my brother a cigarette, my brother who had quit smoking a year ago. He pulled a lighter from his pocket and lit the tobacco filled paper.

"Didn't your wife make you quit?"

Albert nodded at me, "Yeah, but she ain't here Hoot."

McKnight looked between us, "What do you do Albert?"

My brother looked to him and spoke without a care of McKnight's rank, "I'm a cop."

"Really? You have your tin?"

Did he have his tin? That and his cuffs and gun, like all cops.

Albert pulled his badge from his back pocket that was attached to his gun, which he set on the counter, dismantled it, and tossed the badge to McKnight to inspect. He then looked to me, "So you gonna feed me?"

I thought about flipping him off. But Diana's feet hit the floor above our heads. McKnight quickly put his cigarette out and gave Albert his badge back while I walked to the freezer on the hunt for waffles.

"Is that a glock," was McKnight's next question.

Albert handed him the gun without a word. While McKnight inspected it I pulled the yellow Eggo box out, opened it, and put four frozen waffles in the toaster, while I finished my steak.

Some noises came from the living room so I shouted, "You want some waffles?"

He groaned from the living room, "Good God, what the hell time is it?"

All three of us checked out watches.

"10:30."

"10:28."

"10:36."

I peeked out of the kitchen into the living room at him, he sat up, hair sticking up in every direction. "Naw. I have to go woo my insane wife to the brink of sanity." Sanderson then looked up at me, "Did I hear your brother in there?"

From the kitchen Albert shouted, "Mornin Jeff!"

Sanderson groaned and then fell over, "I need a cat scan."

"The couch ain't that bad," I spat back, then ducked as he threw a beer bottle at me. Well if you slept on that then you would have a problem. But I caught the bottle and headed back in the kitchen.

I pushed the handle down to cook the waffles as my brother reassembled his gun, and McKnight called someone to cancel some meeting or tried to, when he got off the phone he was not happy. He slammed the phone on the receiver and turned to me, "I want you to call me as soon as she gets done."

I nodded and watched as he walked out of the kitchen, heading upstairs to see Diana.

A area of the house he usually avoided.


	15. 15

Hospital waiting rooms were all the same no matter what country. Even in the small Georgia town, where the hospital was up on a mountainy hill.

It was cold.

Smelled like sterilizers.

Silent.

Except for Albert, who was seated beside me flipping through the chapel pamphlets, "I like the looks of this nudist chapel."

I'd given up on even looking at the three month old wrinkled magazines. I had no desire to read brochures on High Blood Pressure, Unwanted Pregnancies, and Celebrex. So I sat beside my brother staring at my watch, then the wall clock, then my watch, then the wall clock.

"Though her father would not be a easy sight……yeah, that's a bad idea. But think of the money you would save on a wedding dress."

Thank God my brother knew me, he knew I was listening as he made comments for the past two hours since we left the house, even though I didn't always answer him.

He drew stares from the assorted women in this room.

Some young pregnant women, others old southern women who belonged in the old south.

Splayed out in the chair beside me, his feet up on the coffee table.

I looked up at the wall clock that rested on purple wallpaper, a dull shade I couldn't name, Diana could. Past the TV which had CNN on. I didn't look at the cheap knock off paintings, or the almost dead plant on the room corners.

Two old women in some stretchy pantsuits and big ass jewelry pointed at the both of us and whispered.

"Have ya asked momma for her old weddin dress?"

I shook my head, "It wouldn't fit Diana."

Albert made a face, "Momma ain't that big!"

I rolled my eyes and looked back down at my watch, "Diana's taller and a little bigger then Momma was when she got married."

Albert seemed confused but dropped it, he dropped the nudist chapel information beside him, next to the Burger King bag, I hadn't eaten my burger. I wasn't hungry. I'd thrown up twice since I got to the hospital.

Nerves, I think, I'd never had them before.

Albert patted my back, then smacked the back of my head. A loving gesture between the two of us. While it drew stares from the two old bats, it told me he was there for me and shit.

"Oh, Hoot, lookie here! You can git married by Elvis! I didn't know he did weddins."

The sound of the door that lead to the offices made us both look up, though a young pregnant girl came out, her mother stood and they left together. Holding hands.

"Why the hell are we on _this_ floor? Your woman ain't pregnant or having menopauses."

"Because she knows the Doc….he can recommend her or whatever. It's the only woman doctor she likes." I told him for what was the tenth I think, I'd lost count.

Albert looked over at me, "You realize that some strange man is groping your woman's fun parts?"

I turned and glared, "Fuck you."

"I love you too bro," Albert smiled, then looked over the Elvis chapel. Quietly he asked, "Has she been gettin her monthly mammograms?"

I shrugged, "I don't know."

Again I looked up at the clock.

Albert took a noisy sip from his drink, then offered it to me.

The door opened! A nurse in blue scrubs came out with a clipboard, "Mr. Gibson?" We both stood, she looked between the two of us, "Your friend is asking for you, you can go back now."

Albert gave my arm a nudge, "I'll be right here man."

I nodded thanks to him and then swiftly crossed the waiting room to the blonde nurse who turned and pointed down the hall, "Room 13, close the door

behind you sir."

"Thank you," I told her and then walked down the way she pointed, past medical equipment and a nurse's station, past a wall of what looked like ultrasound pictures.

I quickly went in room 13 and closed the door behind me, Diana looked up from where she was seated on a cold metal exam table, in a paper gown.

The terrified look on her face hit me in the gut, it made me feel sick.

Without a word I walked over to her and hugged her, holding her so close I was afraid I'd hurt her, but she held me back just as tight. She buried her face against my chest and took a very deep breath. Her fingers dug into my shirt and back. I didn't care.

I kissed the top of her head, "What'd the Doc say?"

Her grip became tighter…she spoke against my chest, but I couldn't understand her. I kissed her again and jumped when the door opened. To my complete surprise one of her friends came through the door.

Diana lifted her head and wiped her eyes.

The Doc, a surgeon, was part of the same program Diana was part of that hired nurses and medical professionals for the military. He was an older southern man in his fifties, graying hair and blue eyes, a few pounds on his stomach. He came over and shook my hand, "Nice to see ya again, Hoot, though it woulda nicer under different circumstances."

All I could do was nod.

Diana softly spoke, "Hi Wandle."

Wandle leaned over and kissed her forehead, he was one of few I'd let do that, he then turned to me, "Have a seat in my chair, the table, or right upsida Diana."

I hopped up on the table by Diana as Wandle handed her the chart in his hand, "We'll darlin….I have a opening for'a biopsy t'morrow. If you want I can wheel ya in, or I can send ya down to Lanta for'a big city Doc?"

Diana took my hand, I had no idea what a biopsy was, so I put my other arm around her waist, "What's a biopsy?"

"Minor surgery, a Doc will go in and take a sample or the lump, dependen, and send it away to the lab for testin."

Oh…..

I looked to Diana who asked Wandle, "What would you do?"

"Geta biopsy, but I ain't specialized in this particular area. I can refer you to a friend'a mine who's excellent. She's a cancer specialist and does surgery on her patients. It's where I sent yo mafia princess friend Lily."

Diana nodded, "Ok."

Wandle wrote down something on the chart, then asked, "What'cha doin t'morrow?"

Diana shrugged, he looked to me, "Nothin," I told him.

"Aight. I'll give'er a call. Get dressed and stay here."

Diana nodded as Wandle walked out and closed the door, Diana promptly let out a wail and fell against me. I wrapped my arms around her and kissed her temple, "It's allright darlin. We'll go to the doc t'morrow and get this takin care of. Aight?"

Diana nodded, crying against my chest.

I kissed her again and stroked her back, "I love you." But she still didn't stop crying, so I kissed her again. Or I would have started too.


	16. 16

Authors Note, Ok I know little about repelling, other then your going down and up a mountain attached to a rope. (Had to be invented by a man) But I live across from this mountain and watch the Army Rangers train on the mountain and stuff, so that parts true. I just know nothing about the repelling, so I'm winging it, forgive me for whatever I get wrong.

It was a great night for training.

A wonderful night actually.

There was no wind. It wasn't hot or cold but somewhere in between. Which made the gear more comfortable. It didn't make it less heavy though. I still hadn't eaten, or drank anything, and I had thrown up twice more since we got back from the doctors office.

I would have given anything to stay the night on base, at home, with Diana. But I was training. Night training. It was supposed to be next week but some genius decided to change the dates, to keep us on our feet the clipboard-carrying bastard told us. The little monkey was lucky Sanderson was there to stop me before I could shove his clipboard up his ass.

Of all the nights in our leave.

It could have been any.

But the one night I _needed_ to be home. Now I knew how Sanderson felt with a pregnant wife at home. I closed my eyes and let my head smack back against the metal wall of the chopper, my helmet made a _thunk_ noise.

I didn't care.

A nauseous feeling still filled me. One I hadn't had since boot camp. I didn't bother to look out over the North Georgia forest, not really caring. I didn't look at the Mountain we came closer and closer to.

Enjoying the silence.

Until Sanderson reached over and turned my headset on from my vest, he then belted me upside my helmeted head.

Lambross's voice blasted into my earpiece, thank you Sanderson! My glare at him expressed my thoughts, to which Sanderson just flipped me off.

"Jackass! You never told us how Diana's Doctor appointment went," Lambross spat at me from across the chopper.

I looked at him, he was pretty pissed. "She's gotta get a biopsy t'morrow."

Beside me Sanderson asked, his voice clear as a bell, "Where?"

"Atlanta."

The chopper full of Delta's listened carefully, either genuinely concerned for Diana or listening for gossip for their wives.

"Who's the doc?" I couldn't be sure who it was….Jose or Rob, the accent was the same.

"Dr. Mead."

The pilot came in our ears, "All right boys, we're almost there, make sure your all ready to jump out."

Woohoo, I got to jump out of a perfectly good chopper, at ten at night. The perfect end to a perfect day. Finally I peered out, down at the tops of very green trees, over the occasional cabin, and farmland.

Sanderson poked my arm.

I glanced over my shoulder at him, in no mood to be social, while all the guys did a quick check over their gear. He mouthed, "You Ok?"

I gave him a nod.

Sanderson narrowed his eyes.

He knew me too well, so to make him happy I began to look over my gear. Making sure all the hooks were hooked, the clamps were ready, my harness was on, and all my extra gear in place. Gun on my hip, incase we ran into a stray cow on the mountain.

Though unlike the Rangers I wasn't about to start shooting at an animal that was in the wrong place at the wrong time.

My night vision goggles on my head.

Ready.

Sanderson still was not happy but he looked over his gear.

Sam's voice came in my ear, "When is the appointment?"

"Noon," I told him, not looking up from my self-inspection. The co-pilots voice came in our ears, "Two minutes."

"How long did it take the Rangers to do this shit," someone asked.

"Half an hour man," Jose answered.

Sam added, "And they shot a cow."

"No shit! Why?"

"Who the fuck knows. They're Rangers." Jose told whoever it was, Leon I think, I didn't know and I didn't care. I wanted to get this exercise done and get home.

Sanderson reached over to my radio and switched my frequency and then his, until we were on the same frequency, just the two of us I guessed. His voice came over into my ear, "Hoot, I know you got shit going on, but you have to get your head into this before you hurt yourself. Your no good to Diana if you fall outta the chopper cause you weren't paying attention."

I looked at my friend and nodded, "I know. But I can't help it man."

He nodded, "I know. There's no where else I wanna be then at home with my crazy wife. But I have to jump out of a perfectly good chopper, slide down a rope, then make my way through and down a fucking mountain in less than half an hour. And make sure no one shoots a cow."

A small smile came, "I promise not to shoot a cow."

"Please don't, don't shame me Hoot. We have to beat the Rangers time man, just worry about that till you get to the bottom of the mountain. Diana is fine at home, she has her father, your brother, and the possessed form that was my wife."

"I know," I told him.

"Besides we're two of the four sergeants, why the lieutenant couldn't climb his happy ass outta bed is another story, but we have to make sure we don't loose Leon again, remember what happened last time we did night training?"

Unfortunately, "Come on. The Coast Guard found him…he was fine. Just keep Fowler away from me."

Sanderson pointed at me with a gloved hand, "I swear to God Hoot, keep your hands off him. One accidental shooting by the Army on this mountain is enough."

I rolled my eyes, "Forget about the damn cow. The Army paid for it, aight?"

To which Sanderson pointed again, "Yes! But if you shoot Fowler he may cost more to replace!"

I thought about flipping him off, but then we quickly changed our frequencies back as the chopper began to descend toward the top of the mountain.


	17. 17

It was a quiet trip home.

Sanderson and I walked back in silence, at three in the morning, down the street on base that ran between the houses. With the streetlights on.

Everyone in bed.

It was deserted.

Plus it was still nice out, not a cloud in the sky, moon bright.

We had beaten the Rangers record by ten minutes, no cows were shot, or Fowler, and Leon was with us at the bottom. The night was good.

I waved to Sanderson and walked up the driveway to my house, up the walk that lead to the front door, where my brother was seated having a smoke. He glanced up and waved as I came on up.

Still in all my gear, minus the repelling harness.

"How went the flyin lessons?" he asked, watching as I dropped down on the cement walk beside him.

"Pretty good, is Diana awake?"

Albert shook his head, "Naw. She was up till you left, bout….ten, then her daddy brought her some milk with a benedryl crushed up in it, she went out lika light bro."

Good.

She needed to get some sleep. Whether naturally or drugged, it didn't really matter. I laid down on the cement walk beside my brother and stared up at the stars I had been under earlier in the night. I folded my hands over my chest and watched the moon.

"You man, I've been thinkin."

"Oh," I asked.

"Yeah. Now when I git home, I can't even grope my wife without thinkin what may or may not be in her. I can't get it outta my damn head, thank you very much."

I smiled, "Not a problem."

Albert blew out a breath of smoke, then looked down at me, "So, you gonna marry her fore she has any surgery?"

I lifted my eyebrows in confusion.

"Insurance shit," was his answer.

I shook my head, "I tell ya right now she won't go for that."

Albert shrugged, he ran put out his cigarette on the cement, then laid down on the ground beside me. Both of us only got half the damn cement, then rest of us were in the damn lawn, or the ten by ten ft of grass that I had to mow that was apparently a lawn. I coulda got a damn goat and staked it in the square, problem solved.

We lay out there for a while….until my watch beeped, I lifted it up and saw the numbers 4:15. I sat up and patted his stomach, "I'm goin in to bed."

Albert waved, "Aight. I'll bring in breakfast."

As I opened my front door I asked, "You have money?"

He laughed and lit another cigarette.

If he needed money he'd come and steal from me like Diana did, the two of them had no shame.

As quietly as I could I closed the door and pulled off my boots, then headed upstairs. Peeling the ankle holster off before I made it to the bedroom so the Velcro wouldn't wake Diana's drug induced sleep.

When I walked in our bedroom I jumped, McKnight was seated in front of the window in a chair, watching her sleep. He was awake. He looked up and waved at me.

I looked to Diana to see her asleep. Soundly. She looked dead. Quietly as I could I put my gun on top of the dresser and took out a pair or sweats, a t-shirt, then headed into the bathroom. I closed the door. Not wanting McKnight to see my naked ass.

Only when I was undressed, after my shower, and in my pj's did I take a look in the mirror. My stubble was dark enough it could pass as a light beard. There were circles under my eyes, I looked like shit.

Where was the Nyquil?

I opened the medicine cabinet and spotted the blue bottle with the blessed word on the side.

Thank God.

I twisted the cap off and took two mouthfuls of the nasty shit. Winced. Brushed my teeth. Then went in the bedroom. McKnight looked up and then whispered, "How'd it go?"

I climbed into bed as carefully as I could, "No dead cows."

"Wonderful," he took one last look at his daughter then headed to the door, "Wake me up when you get up."

"I just took a swing of Nyquil."

McKnight may have rolled his eyes, "Fine. I'll wake you up."

I gave him thumbs up as he closed the bedroom door. Once the door was closed I slid down under the quilt her mother made, I wrapped my arms and legs around her, kissed her temple and laid my head on the pillow.

She was so out of it she never even moved.

For some odd reason I reached out and felt her pulse with my thumb, only when I felt the vein beat on my finger and I was assured she was alive, I relaxed. I put my arm down and watched her sleep, until the Nyquil kicked in.

**9:30**

McKnight came and woke us both up. Bastard. Diana cried out, "Daddy….."

"Take a shower. Albert brought in breakfast, I'll go make coffee."

Coffee!

Somehow I managed to tell him, "No decaf." It came out muffled since my face was buried in the pillow, but understood. Decaf was evil.

Only when McKnight's footsteps were in the hall did I roll on my back. I looked down at Diana who scooted closer to me since I moved, she buried her face between my shoulder and the mattress. Only one of those green eyes looked up at me.

"How'd you sleep," I asked.

"Like a rock. Like I was drugged."

I reached down and ran my fingers through her hair, "I had no part in that darlin."

She made a noise, then sat up, "Would you take a shower with me?"

Did she even have to ask? But even staring into her green eyes, that face, even though she had on one of my old t-shirts. I couldn't help but glance at her breasts. Remembering Albert's words, _"I can't even grope my wife without thinkin what may or may not be in her."_

Diana noticed my stare, she reached out and took my hand. Very gently she lifted her shirt and pulled my hand up, until I felt the side of her breast, almost diagonally under her arm. She watched my eyes while she did this, then she softly told me, "It's right there."

I felt it. A round bump the size of a peanut.

Something that small was threatening the life of the woman I loved. A completely helpless feeling filled me. I bit my lips. But held my hand there, trying my best not to concentrate on the round lump. Instead the warmth of her soft skin, or even the fact it was her breathe. But I couldn't move past the fact it was there and I hadn't noticed it before.

Diana then touched my face with her other hand. I met her green eyes as she told me, "I didn't notice it till the other night, Hoot. So don't look at me like that."

She kissed me, "Come take a shower with me."


	18. 18

Once I set sight on the food I ate six waffles, two eggs, five strips of bacon, and three mugs of coffee.

Humera ate more though.

Both she and Sanderson were downstairs.

Albert smoked his breakfast, while McKnight enjoyed real bacon while Diana was distracted and didn't yell at him about cholesterol. Sanderson ate half as much as I did, while she ate eight waffles, three eggs, four cups of coffee, and two bowls of cereal. She impressed Albert, who had seen his wife pregnant, twice.

Diana even ate breakfast.

We somehow managed to have a normal breakfast, Diana even laughed, from her spot on my lap at the counter. Humera sat beside me on the other stool, packing away her second bowl of cereal, explaining how she had gotten wrongfully pulled over.

"So this cop just singled you out on the road up yonder?"

Humera nodded as McKnight walked through the kitchen yelling at someone who dared call him, someone who dare ask something of him today.

Diana didn't even yell at her father to be nice as she chewed on her waffle.

No syrup, butter, or plate. She ate it like a damn cookie.

"Were your lights working," Albert asked her.

Humera nodded, "Lights and blinkers."

Sanderson smirked from in the kitchen, making a second plate of eggs and bacon, adding more to his coffee. I watched him while I somewhat innocently molested Diana, just her thigh.

Besides her father was in the kitchen giving someone named Farrell an earful.

"Are your tags current," Albert asked her.

McKnight's voice came through the house, I lost count of the swears in his sentences which didn't slow or stop. There was no way in hell he was going anywhere but Atlanta today.

"Tags. Insurance, Even my license," Humera told him.

Albert looked thoughtful as he could, smoking his breakfast beside the open kitchen window.

More swears came from McKnight, they filled the house like a barney tape in a nursery school.

Sanderson walked around the kitchen and up to the counter, where we were, "Tell him what the speed limit was sweetie."

Humera inspected his plate, "55…is that ham bacon or turkey bacon?"

"Ham," Albert told her.

Humera made a face.

Albert then asked her, "How fast were you driving?"

She thought about it, "94? Maybe 96 at the most."

Diana choked on her waffle. I patted her back with my other hand, until she caught her breath. Sanderson looked over at my brother, "Humera doesn't believe in a speed limit. They don't apply to her."

She jabbed her spoon at him, "I had to pee! You try carrying little Abdullah around all day!"

I sighed and put my face against Diana's back as the argument began, I had heard it before.

"We're not naming our son Abdullah."

"Well I am not naming him after a gun! What kinda name is Remington?"

"What kind of name is Abdullah?"

Albert so helpfully pointed out, "If you had twins you could name them Smith and Wesson." I felt Diana point over her shoulder at me, "Your brother suggested the same thing."

I lifted my head up and laid the side of my face on her back. To see Humera glare at me. So I suggested, "Why don't you just name the kid after the country he was conceived in?"

Sanderson glared over his wife, "I am not naming my son Malaysia!"

Humera turned and glared at him, "He was not conceived in Malaysia! He was conceived on the way there!"

Albert perked up.

"So then that leaves what? Pan Am? Delta?" Diana asked, finishing up her waffle.

Humera didn't hear, she was busy glaring at him, as if he had committed some horrible crime by not remembering where his firstborn was conceived. Albert helpfully asked, "What birth control pills did you use?"

Sanderson glared at my brother, "I am not naming my son after a birth control pill!"

"Naw. I just don wanna use that one."

Sanderson picked up a spoon and threw it at him.

McKnight came through the kitchen, on his way to the garage, even though he was halfway through his conversation, we easily understood what was happening.

"…_And if you call me again at all today I'll come down there and put my foot so far up your ass, your nose will bleed! There are how many ranking officers above and below me in that mother fucking building, and you called me? What the fuck is your problem? If you call me again I will rip off your_…."

Then the door slammed.

"At least he's in a good mood," Diana commented.

"How can you tell?" Albert asked, not used to McKnight's favored swear words.

"Mother Fuck is his favorite word," Sanderson told him.

I looked down at my watch, 10:01.


	19. 19

**Two days later….**

Another hospital, another waiting room, but this one was fuller and nicer.

Better furniture.

Newer magazines.

Less old batty women in spandex.

Even the bathrooms were nicer, which I only saw once, but they were clean.

Though I gave the kids inside a scare when I ran in and threw up in the trashcan, nerves. I washed my face and gurgled some water in the sink.

But I stayed at the sink.

Unable to move away from the water, not even when some old man came up beside me. He looked at me a little too closely, "Sir? Are you ok?"

I nodded, not wanting to talk to anyone really.

"You look a little pale."

Shit. I'd come in the bathroom not only to throw up, but escape Albert's constant glances in my direction. Checking on me.

I looked up at the old man, with a bad wig and large tri-focals, in jeans a tad too tight and his plaid shirt had three buttons down. Holding onto his youth. Perfect. "I'm fine."

He looked at me oddly, as if he couldn't place me, and then he asked, "Your a Ranger? From the base."

I shook my head.

But the man was adamant, "I saw you training Tuesday night."

That shocked the hell out of me. I stood up and towered over the shorter man, "And you are?"

He held out a hand to shake mine, "Bill. I live on the Mountain, in Swiss Colony."

I still didn't take his hand, instead I told him, "Good for you."

"Your not a Ranger?"

Good God! What was this? Social hour at the zoo? But it was either this nut or my brother the armed nut with a badge.

Before I could demand what the mans problem was, Sanderson peeked in the bathroom, he lifted his eyebrows at me. I made a face that pleaded with Sanderson.

Who thank God took the hint, he pointed to the cell phone on his hip and told me, "Hey baby, the sitter just called and said little Ming Lee is up. Did you want to tell her we're adopting a baby sister, or keep it a surprise?"

I turned to the man, whose eyes were as round as marbles, and told him, "I have to go."

As I walked to Sanderson I mouthed, 'Thank you.'

Sanderson put his hand on my back and rubbed it as I walked out, I lead him out into the hall that lead to the waiting room, once the door closed he dropped his hand. "Who was that?"

I couldn't go back to the waiting room.

Diana had an hour left in surgery. I couldn't have Albert staring at me, McKnight going up to the nurse every ten minutes, Humera flipping through a baby name book, the Doc. Wandle.

"Some nut from the Mountain the other night."

Sanderson stopped, "Oh." He fell back against the wallpapered wall and commented, "You know, this waiting will kill you."

I nodded and mirrored him on the other wall, across from him. Though my head fell back on the wall. I stared up at the ceiling. Which had pictures for the people on stretchers to look at.

Sanderson looked at his watch, then sighed.

Offhandedly I asked, "Do you realize, I've spent more damn time in hospitals with _you_, then anyone else in my life?"

"I know. It's cause I'm so pretty to look at."

I thought about flipping him off, then decided I didn't have the energy. He laughed at me. So I told him, "Your gonna be in one'a these rooms soon when your wifie delivers that lil'one of yours."

Sanderson nodded, "Yeah."

I looked at him, "What?"

He looked confused.

"The last damn time I heard you say 'Yeah' like that, we was gettin at."

Sanderson nodded, then checked his watch again, "I'm kinda hoping they'll have to do a C-section."

"Why? They'll giver drugs for tha pain."

He nodded, but then added, "I know…but it's still gonna hurt her a little. And I'm partly to blame for it. I'd deliver our child if I could….I just don't want her to feel any more pain. She's been through enough."

I understood that.

"I know," I told him, then added, "But not enough for her ta name it Abdullah?"

"Fuck No!"

"Did you ever write to the makers of those three pills she was on?"

Sanderson nodded.

"And what'd they say?"

Sanderson stood up straight as a small family walked between us, waiting until they were in the waiting room, "They asked if I used a condom."

I lifted my eyebrows in surprise.

"Yeah! That's what I thought, if she's on the pill I didn't have to use one of those things….after we have _Remington_, what pill is Diana on?"

I shrugged, "Dunno. I'm only incharge'a birth control when she switches pills."

The door to the waiting room opened, out came Albert, pulling out a carton of cigarettes from his jeans pocket.

"You're not allowed to smoke in a hospital," Sanderson told him, to which Albert replied, "That's why I'm goin in tha stairwell." Sanderson looked to me and I rolled my eyes.

Once the stairwell door down the hall closed Sanderson opened his mouth, I held up my hand, "Not'a word."


	20. 20

By eight o'clock we pulled into the driveway.

The Doctor wouldn't release Diana until she woke up and could tell him stupid things. Like who our President was, her birthday, what the square root of three was, and if she could spell her last name. Which she failed. She knew the square root of three, couldn't spell McKnight.

Hell I didn't know the square root of three, until today.

Well that went for Sanderson, Albert and I.

Then traffic was murder.

We lost Sanderson and Humera not twenty minutes from the hospital, she was hungry.

Albert drove, which meant there was a lot of swearing. Albert was divinely appointed by God himself to punish poor drivers on the freeway. Albert in bumper-to-bumper traffic was a nightmare, plus McKnight wouldn't let him smoke.

I was banished to the front seat while Diana slept across the back, her head on a pillow on McKnight's lap. While he hovered over her. As much as I wanted to hover over her I kept my mother shut, while Albert lost his mind.

When we pulled into the driveway an old beat up Ford sat there, when Albert put the car in park the Doctor, Wandle, climbed out of the Ford.

I climbed outta my seat and opened the door, he peered over my shoulder at the sleeping Diana. He shook her foot, "Hey. Sweet thang, wake up."

Diana let out a noise, but didn't move.

"Push'er ass up and bring'er inside. I wanna check her out fore you put her in bed," Wandle told us, in jeans and a t-shirt bearing the Confederate Flag. He had a blue backpack in his hand.

I leaned in the jeep and patted her thighs, "Darlin, wake up."

McKnight looked at me and gently pushed her up as she began to wake up, slowly. I patted her face with both my hands.

She had left the hospital half awake.

But awake enough to dress herself and get some fluids in her, she just slept the whole way home.

Diana opened her eyes, which looked so glazed I knew she'd fail any drug test. I reached for her to carry her inside. But froze, the lump under her arm was evident of bandages. Couldn't touch that.

So I reached under her bottom and pulled her across the seat, until her legs hung off the side, and then I lifted her out, she slumped against my chest. I held her against me with both hands under her bottom. Shutting the car door with my foot.

While McKnight collected all the medical shit the Doctor lady gave us, Albert ran ahead of me to open the front door, cigarette in his mouth.

I carried her inside where Wandle waited, "Where's the bedroom at?"

I nodded towards the staircase, afraid to wake her up.

Wandle lead me up the steps and down the hall to our room, where I very gently put her on the bed. "Hold her up," he told me.

I did, infact I sat right next to her. I watched Wandle pull a stethoscope from his pack and put it on, he then slid it up her shirt and listened to her heart. After a few moments he looked at his watch and counted silently, timing it.

I looked up to see McKnight standing in the doorway watching.

"Good," he said, then he pulled out a blood pressure cup from his pack, setting the stethoscope on the bed.

He unvelcroed the arm cuff and wrapped it around her bare arm. He squeezed that little round rubber ball, watching the clock-like thingie on it. And then he stopped and watched it as the air hissed out.

"Aight…….good."

Wandle took the cuff off her arm and put that on the bed.

He then pulled out one of those little flashlights and opened one eye, then the other, shining the light in her eyes.

He saw the look of confusion on my face, but when Diana moved back against me, muttering, "Stop….that." I was relieved, Wandle smiled, "Good."

He packed all his toys up and let me lay her down in the bed. I took her shoes off and covered her in the quilt before I met both him and McKnight in the hall.

Wandle turned to me, "Let'er sleep tha night away. When she wakes up fed'er breakfast and let'er take'a shower. Aight. Make sure she uses the shit the Doc gave you to clean the wound. Aight? I'll be by t'morrow night to be sure she did all that. If there's any problems, give me a call, I gave her daddy my number."

I nodded.

McKnight lead Wandle out, and I set up my bed on the floor. With my luck I'd roll over on her, squish her and rip her stitches.


	21. The End

Authors note, Ok, I know this is a really short chapter, but it's the end of this fic.

Enjoy!

**A week later…..**

Sanderson stomped into the kitchen, his hair sticking up in every direction, in sweats and a grey t-shirt, he'd spent the night.

Pregnant women were scary, Humera was proof.

While I mixed up a few eggs he jabbed his finger at me, "She's in there watching Jerry Springer. _Jerry Springer!_ You know I watch CNN every morning, go make her change the channel!"

I shook my head, "Naw. If I anger that, I don't get sex and tonight's lookin good for me."

Sanderson narrowed his eyes, "We have to help Sam put up a tree house for his two monkies."

I nodded, "Yup. When I come home all sweaty and dirty in jeans, I'll be gettin some. I ain't got some in a week. So….you go watch the overweight cheatin bastards with my woman."

"Traitor," he spat, then went in the fridge and pulled out two more eggs, I took them, broke them, and added them to the ones in the measuring cup. "Where is her father at?"

I jerked my head toward McKnight's bedroom, or the never ending pit of darkness, "Sleepin. He was out late at one'a his poker games."

"Poker? Well whatever makes him happy," Sanderson muttered, then asked, "You want bacon?"

"Hell yeah," I told him.

Someone knocked on the front door, from the living room Diana shouted, "I'll get it!" Commercials must have been on. Sanderson turned toward the living room, I quickly told him, "You touch that TV and you die."

He stuck his tongue out at me, then headed to the fridge to get the bacon. "Are you willing to hang out your best…your only friend, in order to get some?"

I took the fork from the cup full of beaten eggs, "Do you wanna go home to your pregnant wife?"

He just grinned. I could see a comment forming up in that head of his, and then Diana's scream filled the house. In that second I tossed the cup of eggs on the sink and bolted for the front door, Sanderson right behind me.

We made it to the front door….and almost ran into Diana and Wandle, the two were locked in a hug.

For a moment I didn't know if it was a good or bad sign.

Wandle handed me a piece of paper while he held Diana, I snatched it and looked it over, lab results. It was all in med terms! It might as well have been in French. Sanderson looked over my shoulder, as lost as I was.

Finally Diana turned to me, a smile upon her face, "It's not cancerous."

Oh thank God!

Relief filled me.

A weight lifted that I hadn't know had been there, for a moment I thought I was gonna be sick until I saw her smile.

Her smile grew larger and I grabbed her, I wrapped my arms tightly around her and held her as close as I could, probably squeezing her. From over her shoulder I saw Wandle with a large smile on his face.

I held her closer and told him, "Go wake her father up and tell him."


End file.
